County officials shut down a recently opened medical marijuana collective Thursday because it didn't have the proper county approval, authorities said.
Authorities on Thursday closed Jam's Collective on Olympus Avenue, just east of Hacienda Boulevard, because the collective lacked a business license, officials said.
The store's manager, Tom Moreno, said he wasn't aware the collective was missing any paperwork.
Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies and a Los Angeles County Treasurer and Tax Collector's representative visited the collective Thursday to check its business license, authorities said.
Sheriff's deputies investigated the collective under the direction of the county counsel's office, sheriff's Lt. Hiroshi Yokoyama said.
A branch of the Los Angeles County Counsel's office also oversees license and code enforcement in unincorporated areas, a county spokeswoman said.
A call late Thursday to the Los Angeles County Treasurer and Tax Collector wasn't immediately returned.
A representative at the county counsel's office could not be reached for comment.
The medical marijuana shop, which had its grand opening Saturday, was turning away customers Thursday afternoon.
Clinics have been feeling the heat lately after Los Angeles County District Attorney Steve Cooley vowed last month to prosecute all clinics, saying the clinics were violating state law.
Moreno said the business was averaging as many as eight customers per day. He said the shop turned away an average of four people per day because they did not have proper paperwork for medical marijuana.
The local community had been supportive of the new medical marijuana collective, Moreno said.
"They want this here," he said. "It takes two hours to get to Los Angeles and come back with their weed."
The store hoped to have issue resolved by Monday, Moreno said.
"If not, we will not open," he said. "We want to run safe."
News Hawk- Ganjarden 420 MAGAZINE ® - Medical Marijuana Publication & Social Networking
Source: Whittier Daily News
Author: James Wagner
Copyright: 2009 Los Angeles Newspaper group
Authorities on Thursday closed Jam's Collective on Olympus Avenue, just east of Hacienda Boulevard, because the collective lacked a business license, officials said.
The store's manager, Tom Moreno, said he wasn't aware the collective was missing any paperwork.
Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies and a Los Angeles County Treasurer and Tax Collector's representative visited the collective Thursday to check its business license, authorities said.
Sheriff's deputies investigated the collective under the direction of the county counsel's office, sheriff's Lt. Hiroshi Yokoyama said.
A branch of the Los Angeles County Counsel's office also oversees license and code enforcement in unincorporated areas, a county spokeswoman said.
A call late Thursday to the Los Angeles County Treasurer and Tax Collector wasn't immediately returned.
A representative at the county counsel's office could not be reached for comment.
The medical marijuana shop, which had its grand opening Saturday, was turning away customers Thursday afternoon.
Clinics have been feeling the heat lately after Los Angeles County District Attorney Steve Cooley vowed last month to prosecute all clinics, saying the clinics were violating state law.
Moreno said the business was averaging as many as eight customers per day. He said the shop turned away an average of four people per day because they did not have proper paperwork for medical marijuana.
The local community had been supportive of the new medical marijuana collective, Moreno said.
"They want this here," he said. "It takes two hours to get to Los Angeles and come back with their weed."
The store hoped to have issue resolved by Monday, Moreno said.
"If not, we will not open," he said. "We want to run safe."
News Hawk- Ganjarden 420 MAGAZINE ® - Medical Marijuana Publication & Social Networking
Source: Whittier Daily News
Author: James Wagner
Copyright: 2009 Los Angeles Newspaper group
