Hollister Mayor Victor Gomez late last week had said city officials must be prepared for the possibility of Purple Cross Rx still opening and serving area customers. The organization's proposal for a medicinal marijuana dispensary last month had been rejected by council members, who voted against changing the zoning code - which prohibits functions in violation of federal law - to permit the function in Hollister.

Purple Cross Rx, however, had obtained a seller's permit from the state board of equalization, effective New Year's Day, and its representative Scott McPhail also sent an e-mail to city officials indicating the organization would begin accepting customers for its delivery service, which is heavily promoted on its Web site.

Purple Cross received the seller's permit to operate at 2300 Technology Parkway in an industrial park near the Hollister Municipal Airport and within view down the road of the Hollister Police Department.

The complex where the organization intends to have its office is in a building with six to eight suites, with other locations there including a screen printing business and a staffing company, along with HOPE Services as well. In the neighboring building, meanwhile, is an office for San Benito County Child Support Services.

McPhail could not be reached to comment on the organization's status, while an answering message with the listed number - in the 831 area code - notes how current customers should leave a message and that new customers should sign up at the Web site, www.purplecrossrx.org.

Gomez, meanwhile, had expressed concern because Purple Cross Rx received that seller's permit with the state board of equalization.

He and other council members had sided with the notion to disallow such pot dispensaries because they violate federal law, while the state has permitted the operations since California voters approved of medical marijuana legalization in 1996. Purple Cross in its proposal to the city includes various research in favor of using medicinal marijuana, along with support from a local physician, Dr. Mohammad S. Al Hasan.

Gomez said the group, though, hasn't opened lines of communication and noted how the only contact from the organization during the process, other than receiving a report detailing its intentions, has been one e-mail "pretty much stating they're taking new customers."

"That kind of had me head scratching," Gomez said. "I thought, 'Oh great, they're just going to open up their doors.'"