ROBBERS FIND POT OF GOLD

With the federal government and gun-toting robbers after him, medical marijuana club owner Jason Beck has a tricky problem: He needs a nice, safe place to keep his pot.

For the second time in six months, the easygoing Beck was robbed at gunpoint late Thursday night, after a pair of masked, armed men kicked in the front door of his Russia Avenue home in the Excelsior District as he relaxed on the couch.

One of the robbers pushed Beck face down into his couch and jammed a gray handgun into the back of his head, asking him, "Where's the money and weed?" The other marched straight into the master bedroom, where he found $16,000 worth of marijuana, two gold chains, keys to Beck's pot club and a $1,500 Versace suit, according to police.

Beck, the owner of the Harm Reduction Center on Haight Street, was also robbed in his shop at gunpoint in December during a blackout that knocked out the power across The City.  During that robbery, he was pistol-whipped five times.  "I've been through it before.  It's a blessing that I didn't get hurt and they didn't get all the weed," he said.  "There was definitely a silver lining."

He said his second experience on the wrong side of a gun highlighted the vulnerability owners of medical marijuana dispensaries face in a world where the product they sell is illegal under federal law but allowed for its medicinal purposes in California.

"We're at war with the feds and at war with the people trying to rob us," Beck said.  "At the same time, the police are in a tough position because they can't really do much for us."

Beck said he was hesitant to keep his supply of pot at his shop, which could be raided by federal agents at any time.  On the other hand, he no longer feels safe keeping it at home.

"I would love to keep all my weed here [at the Harm Reduction Center], but I can't," he said.  "I need to find a neutral, secure off-site location."