So in 2009 my companies began doing work for Capital Wellness Collective is Sacramento. We worked for several months to help develop business systems, renovate facilities, and help open the new 29th Street location. As the organization expanded to its sister location in Berkeley, we took on the construction job of building ALL of the walls, painting, laying floors and helping to open that facility. At the end of the job we were promised that we would be paid the $20,000 owed to us “as soon as Berkeley got up an running.” That was June of 2009…here we are, two whole years later and I have still not been paid.
I have sent letters to the “new management,” being Montel’s group out of LA to no avail. They have not even had the courtesy to respond to my letter of inquiry or multiple phone calls. They spent over $35,000 renovating their new “high-end” collective, which is a real slap in the face considering that is MY money they are virtually spending. In addition, several people who I am close with are also owed tens of thousands of dollars by this group for medicine and services, and they have been nothing but shady in their dealings with them. They are saying that a person must sign of on a 1099 for EVERYTHING they ever brought into the facility for the past 5 years, leaving them holding the bag for all of those taxes from collective group cultivation sites, thus meaning they would owe more than they are owed. WTF? You cannot change history. Pay the fucking bills and start clean or be prepared for a major backlash. I for one am tired of playing nice and am prepared to make this a major media issue if they do not rectify the situation. It is cowardice and inconsiderate to continue to fuck people who supported the CWC/CBCB effort for years and were fucked over when the organization could not control its spending and pay its bills.
So below are my smart ass comments on this lame ass attempt to woo over our community with some B-Star power….
Sacto: TV’s Montel Williams Comes to Sacramento to Open Marijuana Dispensary
By Miles Bennett-Smith
Published: Tuesday, Jun. 14, 2011 – 12:00 am | Page 1B
TV’S MONTEL WILLIAMS COMES TO SACRAMENTO TO OPEN MARIJUANA DISPENSARY
Montel Williams has been the face of many things – host of a nationally syndicated television talk show and pitchman for prescription drug assistance products and a fruit-and-vegetable emulsifier.
CW: Funny how Montel wants to be the front man on this project, considering his work to prop up Big Pharma over the years…
On Monday, Williams appeared in Sacramento to announce a partnership with a new enterprise, a medical marijuana dispensary.
CW: It is not a “new enterprise.” It is Sacramento’s oldest enterprise and with that he should take on the responsibility of their debts, as well as their assets…
In a news conference at the newly renovated offices of the former Capital Wellness Center, Williams spoke about his own battle with multiple sclerosis and why he turned to marijuana to alleviate near-constant neurological pain.
CW: You can call it what you want to, but it does not mean they do not owe the money they are responsible for…
“Prescription drugs nearly shut down my kidneys. Then a doctor suggested I try medical marijuana,” said Williams, who credits pot for improving his health and well-being.
Williams a recent guest host of “Good Day Sacramento” on Channel 31 (KMAX) led a tour of the new Albatin Wellness Cooperative at 29th and U streets in the Newton Booth neighborhood of midtown. He was accompanied by a Harvard-trained physician, Dr. Alan Shackelford, who specializes in medical marijuana.
CW: Any chances that the Doctor has some cash you can borrow?
“We’ve been caught up in culture surrounding medical marijuana that’s 20 years old,” Williams said. “While adhering to every single state law, we want to provide safe access for patients and really medicalize this. Patients should be put first.”
CW: I love it when a newbie…famous or not…walks into the movement as if they are a savior with all new ideas and makes it seem like they are a revolutionary….Pay your bills and we can talk about that.
He decided to partner with the marijuana cooperative’s director, Aundre Speciale, a friend he met two years ago and with whom he shares a philosophy of making medical marijuana available along with patient counseling and a standardized product.
CW: Unfortunately Aundre was a good friend and knows first hand that the collective owes me and many others money. It would be nice if, as a “partner,” she used her influence to do the right thing. As a “partner” it would seem in her best interest to make sure the folks who took care of her for so long were taken care of by the new bosses….Saying “I am sorry” is nice, but paying my bills would be nicer….
The host of “The Montel Williams Show,” which aired from 1991 to 2008, said he would be “involved at every level of the cooperative, from the philosophical direction down to the blueprints.”
CW: Good…get involved with the BOOKKEEPING, and get the bills PAID, dude….you want our community to accept you, then you must do right by the community….anything less is bullshit…..So get your calculator out and start writing some checks Mr. Involvement….
His influence certainly shines through in the decor and appearance of the dispensary, which is a far cry from at least some other facilities that advertise their product in windows and display it openly in glass cases. The building is as nondescript as its dull-blue hue, at least on the outside.
CW: It used to be YELLOW, so that paint job was essentially paid for by me and many others you guys are shafting…so I guess you are welcome….
Once visitors walk through the door, they are in a mosaic-tile lobby with flat-panel televisions playing various slides concerning the history of medicinal marijuana in addition to testimonials from Williams and others in the field.
CW: Flat panel TVs? Those would look nice in my house. Would be nice if I had the money for flat panel TVs…..Mosaic Tiles? Those would have went well in my bathroom or entryway..but I am BROKE….so must be nice…
After having their permits and paperwork vetted by a receptionist, the patients are buzzed in to a larger room to meet with a “counselor.” This happens every time they come in to discuss their medical needs, before any of what the center calls medicine is distributed.
CW: I would be interested to know who is doing the counseling. LOL….
It feels almost like going to the bank, except instead of money the tellers dole out a different kind of green. Dozens of cameras and at least four security guards monitor every movement.
CW: Chances are I INSTALLED THOSE VIDEO CAMERAS. You are welcome…now pay me!
Unlike most dispensaries, no marijuana is displayed in the facility, anywhere. Patients don’t see the actual product, which is available in edible and smokable form, until the very end, and can’t use it on the property.
CW: You cannot check it out before you purchase it? Maybe that is because the only vendors they have left are CRAPPY ones and they do not want you to see the CRAPPY products….
“I want this to be someplace your mother and father could see themselves walk into,” Williams said. He is using his celebrity status to try to do just that – he brought his parents along for the tour.
CW: How does mom and dad feel about you propping up an organization that is trying to beat a father of two and a medical cannabis political prisoner out of his $20,000? Did you tell them that part or are you ashamed?
But Williams’ high-profile appearance also brought with it some controversy for Albatin even before the system debuted Monday.
CW: Damn RIGHT!
A group of five vendors came to the dispensary to inquire about what they claim is thousands of dollars owed for marijuana provided to Speciale’s Capital Wellness Cooperative in recent months.
GOOD FOR THESE FOLKS…WISH I COULD HAVE BEEN THERE TOO!
Gary Hiller, the legal adviser for Capital Wellness Cooperative Inc., said any claims of money owed would be fully investigated.
CW: Investigated? How about fucking PAID, asshole….you partnered with an organization that has spent the last two years robbing Peter to pay Paul and you want to investigate? Look, man….I am owed cash for my blood, sweat, and energy….I got your investigation right here….Does your investigation include returning a fucking call or answering a letter? You are full of shit…
“If a patient-cultivator brings in excess medicine, he or she will be reimbursed the cost of cultivating that medicine in accordance with state law.”
CW: Shit…how about the people who built the walls and helped keep the organization going who were promised to be paid when things “got better.” Not much better than Daddy Warbucks coming in to save the day. Pay your bills, dude….
That seemed to put the issue to bed for the most part, as minutiae and legal wrangling appeared to be at the root of the confusion, leaving Williams to focus on his goal of medical marijuana patient advocacy.
CW: BELIEVE THIS ISSUE IS FAR FROM PUT TO BED. I have been waiting for this bullshit fanfare grand opening press release crap…GAME ON…..GAME ON…..You can be sure you have put NOTHING to rest…..
Williams said he wants to change the stigma surrounding doctor-prescribed pot use.
CW: Try changing the stigma around Capital Wellness first, champ. Thanks.
“It’s absurd. I can go get morphine pumped into my system and nobody’s got a problem,” he said. “But all of a sudden they’re really worried if I smoked a joint.”
CW: I a’int worried about your joint, but I am worried about your disregard for the people who have helped develop Capital Wellness over the years and your inability to pay your bills. I have had it with that shit, so if you think you are taking a victory lap on my dime, you are sadly mistaken. Sorry. If you want to put some skin in the game, then take the responsibility that comes with it. Before we do any more press, let us pay the fucking bills…I do not think that is too much to ask…Thanks.
Story Source: http://www.sacbee.com/2011/06/14/3698335/tvs-montel-williams-comes-to-sacramento.html