Dispensary Owner to Face Trial
Jeff Restivo Accused of Running Illegal Pot Shop; Represented by 'L.A.'s Dopest Attorney'
A Santa Barbara County Superior Court judge ruled last week that enough evidence exists for Charles Jeff Restivo — part owner and operator of a medical marijuana dispensary called Pacific Coast Collective (PCC) — to be tried on felony charges of cannabis cultivation and possession with intent to sell.
Judge Clifford Anderson presided over the preliminary hearing, which wrapped up Thursday, September 9.
Senior Deputy District Attorney Brian Cota argued that there is sufficient reason to believe Restivo neglected to follow Attorney General guidelines regarding the lawful operation of medical marijuana dispensaries. By making use of recorded interviews, court testimony, and PCC’s own records — or lack thereof — Cota attempted to show that Restivo’s management of PCC had fallen far short of the bar set by the state for a collective’s legal operation. As evidence, Cota pointed to PCC’s alleged willingness to buy from “anyone who came through the door with a backpack full of marijuana” — potentially violating the state’s prescribed member-as-supplier model — and Restivo’s alleged failure to keep accurate and verifiable records detailing where his supply was coming from. Cota also took issue with PCC’s inability to ensure that its suppliers were not profiting from the sales, or potentially providing marijuana that had been procured on the black market to its members.
