The need for discretion outweighs the need for advertising.

For an average retailer, advertising is a way of life not given a second thought.

Not so for medical marijuana dispensaries like the 11 raided this month by federal drug agents. They face a marketing conundrum: how to let customers know they are open without attracting attention from non-customers.

Many of the local marijuana cooperatives, collectives and dispensaries have found the Internet to be the most effective medium that best walks that fine line, followed by word-of-mouth and alternative publications such as the L.A. Weekly.

Out of the question is advertising in any recreational-use marijuana publication like "High Times." Also frowned upon: flashy ads that may attract eyeballs of the wrong sort.

"That's how I think people get targeted for raids," said Celina, an employee at the United Medical Caregivers Clinic in Los Angeles who declined to give her last name.

Some dispensaries use their brick-and-mortar outlets as advertising vehicles, elaborately adorning them with pictures of marijuana plants or putting slang for marijuana, like "420", in their business name. Others are modest and unassuming with names that might not raise an eyebrow.

That variance also carries over to the dispensaries' Web ads. Some simply have their outlet's name, address, number and hours posted on medical marijuana resource Web sites like weedtracker.com or on those of support organizations like the California National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws and American Medical Marijuana Association. There are about 140 Los Angeles dispensaries listed on the CaNorml.org Web site, for example.

Some pay for big display ads, but United Medical Caregivers basically relies on word of mouth, eschewing publicity.

"Basically it is need based. We are not looking for random people on the street," said Celina. "We have a license and check everything and everyone out who comes in here, but let's face it, the federal government may still come after you."

Chris Fusco, the Los Angeles County Field Coordinator for Americans for Safe Access, a 30,000-member organization dedicated to promoting safe and legal access to cannabis for therapeutic uses and research, said that local dispensary ads are often found in publications like L.A. Weekly, City Beat or, more recently, the Onion--but that may change.

"Advertising right now won't necessarily bring the feds to your door, but people are being a lot more discreet, they are afraid," Fusco said. "They are going to think twice before doing any ads right now."

One thing all dispensary representatives interviewed for this article agreed on: the use of fliers--controversial because they can easily fall into the hands of children or end up near schools--is an irresponsible business practice.

"We are human and as humans can do moronic things, but if people are truly using fliers, that's deplorable and can't be tolerated," said Phil Morris of the Canto Diem Dispensing Collective Inc.

By ANNE RILEY-KATZ

Staff Reporter