Pleadings for 3 Marijuana Dispensary Defendants Continued Until March 22

Three defendants from the Golden State Collective marijuana dispensary appeared in Pasadena court Feb. 13 where their arraignments were postponed until March 22. A fourth defendant failed to appear as scheduled.
Dispensary owner Shaun Szameit, Tony Guttierez, and property owner Elizabeth McDuffie appeared.
According to City of Pasadena spokeswoman Lisa Derderian, Yulisa Gonzales did not. Failure to report to court by Feb. 14 will trigger an arrest warrant in her name, Derderian said.
The defendants have been charged with possession of marijuana for sale, cannabis sales without a permit, and public nuisance counts.
The continued operation of the unlicensed, Mentor Avenue collective has been an ongoing issue with the City. The dispensary has been cited for code violations some 17 times and has twice sued Pasadena in its quest for an operating permit.
“I am in complete shock and disappointment,” Szameit said in response to the City’s amended complaint. “I feel like I have been deceived, and am now being tortured and displayed with intent to destroy my future.”