‘Cannabis Clubs’ Launches Membership Drive

Cannabis Clubs United With the Community, an advocacy group that supports medical marijuana dispensaries in Eagle Rock, has launched its first-ever membership drive in an effort to improve its organizational abilities.

Tim Ryder, a longtime Eagle Rock resident who heads CCUWC, is offering lifetime membership in the organization for just $20.

Medical marijuana patients and anyone under 21 years of age get a 50-percent discount on the membership fee. The discount is also available to “anyone who drank alcohol with me in the past four years,” Ryder tells Eagle Rock Patch only half-jokingly.

The membership drive kicked off on Aug. 1. “I figured I’d pick this month because of National Night Out,” Ryder said referring to this past Tuesday’s anti-crime celebration at Eagle Rock Plaza, which Ryder attended.

“If you legalize marijuana you will cut the crime problem in half,” Ryder said, adding: “Prohibition [of marijuana] encourages drug dealers and creates criminals out of law-abiding citizens.”

Ryder, who started a shuttle service in March to transport patients and customers to pot clinics in Eagle Rock, claims he has “lots of support in the community.” Despite that, “we really haven’t focused on getting members,” he said. “We’re relatively new and don’t have a lot of resources. We don’t have the million-dollar staff that [Councilmember] has.”

On Aug. 1, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa signed a City ordinance banning medical marijuana storefronts. The ordinance, partly championed by Huizar, will become law on Aug. 31, potentially resulting in the closure of Eagle Rock’s pot clinics—a scenario that Ryder wants to avert.

Besides membership cards, CCUWC members will get two free tickets to the Daydream Fest in October—a music event in Eagle Rock aimed at increasing awareness about medical marijuana issues, Ryder said.

Members will also get a free CD containing the Grateful Dead music of a local band, Morning Glory.

CCUWC is also working on publishing a monthly newsletter online, which, said Ryder, will offer “tips on how to defeat the prohibition crusaders.”

Ryder said he isn’t optimistic that city authorities will be able to shut down pot clinics in L.A. “Law enforcement resources are pretty scarce,” he said, and enforcing a ban is “going to take resources away from fighting actual crimes.”

Click here to access the CCUWC website and sign up as a member through PayPal or a credit card. Checks are also welcome.