One of the state's largest dispensaries of medical marijuana, the 10,000-member Berkeley Patients Group has kept a tight lid on its financial records.
In 2009, the pot club recorded more than $15 million in sales, and more than $100,000 in income -- a sizeable gap.
According to records obtained by California Watch, BPG brought in $17.4 million in 2008 and and spent $10 million for its goods. In 2009, it grossed $16.4 million and laid out $9 million in expenses.
Its former bookkeeper, Doug McVay, told California Watch said salaries for top Patients Group executives shot up by as much as 50 percent in 2009, and total compensation figures detailed in the documents reflected generous bonuses. That year, labor costs totaled $3.3 million, including more than $911,00 paid to co-directors Deborah Goldsberry, Etienne Fontan and Tim Schick.
BPG abruptly shuttered its San Pablo Avenue dispensary in May after federal prosecutors threatened to seize the property from the landlord, David Mayeri. U.S. Attorney Melinda Haag had cited its close proximity to two schools, and violations of federal law, although no criminal charges were filed. According to its website, the group is moving to delivery service.
