LA Caps Medical Marijuana Shops to 70, Hundreds Facing Forced Closure

[Jim Finnel]

The Los Angeles City Council adopted a motion on Tuesday, to limit the total number of medical marijuana dispensaries to 70. But the nearly 140 pot dispensaries that properly registered with the city, before opening for business would be allowed to remain open. That leaves hundreds more that opened their doors, after a moratorium on dispensaries that the city didn’t enforce and even extended. The unregistered shops would be forced to close.

The city council is concerned that the growth in marijuana dispensaries is mushrooming out of control and the council members seek to exert some controls over the number of establishments and where they are located.

Under the new restrictions, marijuana dispensaries would be prohibited from certain locations, “including staying several hundred feet away from any school, public park, religious institution, licensed child care facility, youth center, hospital or rehab facility, and other collectives.”

The shops operating with a proper city registration, may be forced to move if they don’t comply with the new location restrictions. Additionally, council members may deny the relocation to an area that already has a high concentration of pot shops.

Councilman Jose Huizar noted: “Currently, with no ordinance in place to control their location, dispensaries have clustered in some neighborhoods, such as Eagle Rock, Hollywood and Woodland Hills, drawn by empty storefronts or by proximity to night life.”

The financially strapped state, may want to rethink the curbs on medical marijuana dispensaries. Sales of medical marijuana to licensed patients generated about $18 million in tax revenue last year.


NewsHawk: User: 420 MAGAZINE ® - Medical Marijuana Publication & Social Networking
Source: chattahbox.com
Copyright: 2009 ChattahBox News Blog
Contact: Contact | ChattahBox News Blog
Website: LA Caps Medical Marijuana Shops to 70, Hundreds Facing Forced Closure | ChattahBox News Blog

 

[Weed420]

I forsee a couple big issues with this.
1: The 70 dispensaries are going to get very rich. Even if they do nothing but sell there store they will get millions.
2: Price of medication will go higher. Decreasing competition benefits no one except the people at the top.
3: Its just going to push it underground more, bring in the criminal element.

These zoning laws are ridiculous and the thugs are the one running the show. Wouldn't surprise me to see the people writing the zoning laws getting a kickback from the dispensaries.