MaryJane’s Attic owner receives citations from MPD but will not have to pay

Published 5:00 pm Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Medford, Ore. — Marlene Nuckols, the owner of a MaryJane’s Attic and MaryJane’s Basement, told NBC 5 News she was given three citations this week from the Medford Police Department for operating without a business license. The problem? She said she currently still has her business license.

Nuckols owns MaryJane’s Attic, which sells American-made products such as clothing, jam and candles, some of them made locally. She also owns MaryJane’s Basement which provides cannabis to medical marijuana patients.

Preliminary decision made to revoke Nuckols’ business license

Last week the Medford City Council made a preliminary decision to revoke Nuckols’ business license. However, the decision hasn’t been finalized yet. That’s why she said she was surprised when she saw the citations.

“These are the three citations that I received from the city of Medford saying that I was operating without a business license,” said Nuckols.

That’s how her week started off, with three citations in three days; one ticket on Monday, another on Tuesday and yet another on Wednesday.

“All of a sudden they came in and I felt harassed,” she said.

A quick resolution

A fine of $250 was scribbled on each ticket. Nuckols said she called her lawyer immediately. At 9:45 on Thursday morning, Nuckols heard back from her lawyer.

“The citations have all been taken care of and that was all he said,” she read off her smartphone.

Daniel Bunn, a Medford City Councilor for Ward 4 said on Thursday that the city decided Nuckols would not have to pay the fines.

“Those tickets, they’re citations, were improvidently issued,” said Bunn.

The citations, issued too early since the City Council has not yet finalized the decision to pull Nuckols’ business license.

Reasoning behind the business license revocation

The city said her store violates federal law because cannabis, which is still federally illegal, is given to medical marijuana patients.

Nuckols has maintained she’s not doing anything illegal, but only acting as a middle-man between medical marijuana growers and patients.

In the meantime, Nuckols said she’s operating as usual.

“I’m glad it’s cleared up,” she said.

Now, Nuckols said she has a little more time to keep providing medical marijuana to patients who say they need it.

What comes next?

The final ruling on Nuckols’ business license revocation will be next week on March 20th.

According to Bunn, if MaryJane’s Attic and MaryJane’s Basement continues to operate, the city can begin issuing $250 citations again. If that doesn’t work, he said the city could go to circuit court and get an order to close down the store.

“We hope we don’t have to do that. We hope they’ll comply with city code,” said Bunn.

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