The owner and associate of the medical marijuana co-op, Green Mammoth, have voiced still more concerns about their

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Mammoth Planning Commission Chair Tony Barrett (center of panel) maintains he had no discussions about a job before voting in favor of Green Mammoth.

earlier stated belief that District Attorney George Booth wants to find a way to shut them down.

Tony Barrett, who works part-time at the co-op, confirmed that an investigator from the DA’s office questioned him about his job at the co-op as a possible conflict of interest coming on the heels of his yes vote on the Mammoth Planning Commission to grant two permits for co-ops – one of them to Green Mammoth and owner Steve Klassen.

Barrett said of the DA, “I think they went after me to hurt the co-op.” He said further that if the DA could disqualify his planning Commission vote, Robert Calvert’s co-op would be in question with not enough votes. Klassen would still have had three votes.

Barrett dismissed the allegation of conflict. “There are very few jobs available in Mammoth,” said Barrett who works part-time at $11 an hour for Green Mammoth. “There is no conflict,” said Barrett. “We did not discuss this job before my vote on the co-ops.”

Barrett then pointed to other Planning commission situations. “If it’s really a conflict of interest,” said Barrett, “why didn’t they investigate Rhonda Duggan who took a job with Jim Demetriades after a planning commission vote. Why is my situation an issue?” he said.

Last week Klassen and Barrett went public with allegations that DA Booth is out to get the Mammoth Lakes medical marijuana co-ops. They maintain the law is on their side and that they have obeyed the Town of Mammoth ordinance and state law. Booth only said that he would issue a statement in two weeks.

Klassen added that before he even started the process for a co-op, he had called George Booth to include him in the discussion. Said Klassen, “He told me he did not believe marijuana is medicine. He totally disagreed with the whole thing.”

Barrett said that Booth was invited to group discussions that involved the writing of the Town ordinance but did not show up. The group include Police Chief Randy Schienle, Lt. Jim Short, Nancy Mahannah of the Health Department, Barrett and Klassen.

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