Marijuana store manager gets 5 years probation

0 Comments | AFP, April, 2008

LOS ANGELES (AFP) — The former manager of a Los Angeles medical marijuana store was sentenced to five years probation on Wednesday after pleading guilty, court officials said.

John Carberry, 56, could have been jailed for up to 20 years but was instead ordered to perform 1,500 hours of community service, in the latest example of federal authorities cracking down on California's tolerance of marijuana use.

Under a state law introduced 12 years ago, California allows marijuana for therapeutic purposes, a policy which is at odds with federal law that prohibits all use of the drug.

The law in California has led to mushrooming of medical marijuana dispensaries, with around 100 of the shops estimated in Los Angeles alone.

Prosecutors said Carberry managed...