Jacob Bell
New Member
LONG BEACH - The news wasn't very positive at Positive Vibrations medical marijuana collective Monday.
The City Attorney's Office sent letters Thursday to Positive Vibrations and 15 other Long Beach collectives that city officials say are operating illegally, telling them they must close within 30 days.
If they don't, the collective operators - and their landlords, who also were sent letters - will face fines of $100 the first day that they violate the order, $200 the second day and $500 for every day thereafter.
City Attorney Robert Shannon has also filed a civil complaint seeking a court injunction to force Positive Vibrations, 2137 Pacific Ave., to close. He said he targeted the collective because it has caused the most complaints about nuisance activity.
The 16 collectives are considered to be illegal because they didn't comply with Long Beach's new medical marijuana restrictions and permit process. Many have continued to operate for months despite being told they must close, the city attorney said.
"We're not going to put up with it," Shannon said, noting that other collectives could face litigation too. "We certainly have the discretion to file more complaints. Since I'm relatively confident that we're not going to get compliance with the warning letters, I'm sure there will be more complaints to follow."
Meanwhile, City Prosecutor Doug Haubert has the collectives in his crosshairs as well.
Haubert said that his office sent letters to illegally operating collectives in January informing them that if they don't close, they could face criminal prosecution. In the criminal case, the collectives - and again, their landlords, who also received the warnings - could receive up to a year in jail and a $1,000 fine for each day they remain open.
Criminal action would be considered a more severe solution and Haubert said that several property owners have already told him that they are beginning the eviction process for the collectives.
The civil and criminal consequences are provided for in the medical marijuana restrictions that the City Council approved last year and then amended last month.
Under the law, collectives aren't allowed to operate in residential areas or near schools, parks or each other. The ordinance also requires them to meet other requirements to receive a permit.
The most controversial piece of the law was the use of a lottery in September to determine which of the collectives that were less than 1,000 feet from each other would be allowed to operate.
After the lottery, the council revisited the law, finalizing the park restriction last month, which forced more collectives to close. Twenty-six collectives and marijuana cultivation sites are now permitted to operate in Long Beach.
Seven marijuana patients or collectives, including Positive Vibrations, have filed lawsuits against the city seeking to overturn the law.
"Nowhere in the ordinance ... does it entail anything about ... any of the dispensaries going into lottery," said a man who answered the collective's phone Monday and identified himself only as a volunteer there. "We decided not to enter the lottery and sue the city of Long Beach for trying to take away our state-given rights."
California voters legalized marijuana for medicinal use in 1996.
News Hawk- GuitarMan313 420 MAGAZINE
Source: presstelegram.com
Author: Paul Eakins
Contact: Info
Copyright: Los Angeles Newspaper group
Website: Medical pot outlets get notice to vacate
The City Attorney's Office sent letters Thursday to Positive Vibrations and 15 other Long Beach collectives that city officials say are operating illegally, telling them they must close within 30 days.
If they don't, the collective operators - and their landlords, who also were sent letters - will face fines of $100 the first day that they violate the order, $200 the second day and $500 for every day thereafter.
City Attorney Robert Shannon has also filed a civil complaint seeking a court injunction to force Positive Vibrations, 2137 Pacific Ave., to close. He said he targeted the collective because it has caused the most complaints about nuisance activity.
The 16 collectives are considered to be illegal because they didn't comply with Long Beach's new medical marijuana restrictions and permit process. Many have continued to operate for months despite being told they must close, the city attorney said.
"We're not going to put up with it," Shannon said, noting that other collectives could face litigation too. "We certainly have the discretion to file more complaints. Since I'm relatively confident that we're not going to get compliance with the warning letters, I'm sure there will be more complaints to follow."
Meanwhile, City Prosecutor Doug Haubert has the collectives in his crosshairs as well.
Haubert said that his office sent letters to illegally operating collectives in January informing them that if they don't close, they could face criminal prosecution. In the criminal case, the collectives - and again, their landlords, who also received the warnings - could receive up to a year in jail and a $1,000 fine for each day they remain open.
Criminal action would be considered a more severe solution and Haubert said that several property owners have already told him that they are beginning the eviction process for the collectives.
The civil and criminal consequences are provided for in the medical marijuana restrictions that the City Council approved last year and then amended last month.
Under the law, collectives aren't allowed to operate in residential areas or near schools, parks or each other. The ordinance also requires them to meet other requirements to receive a permit.
The most controversial piece of the law was the use of a lottery in September to determine which of the collectives that were less than 1,000 feet from each other would be allowed to operate.
After the lottery, the council revisited the law, finalizing the park restriction last month, which forced more collectives to close. Twenty-six collectives and marijuana cultivation sites are now permitted to operate in Long Beach.
Seven marijuana patients or collectives, including Positive Vibrations, have filed lawsuits against the city seeking to overturn the law.
"Nowhere in the ordinance ... does it entail anything about ... any of the dispensaries going into lottery," said a man who answered the collective's phone Monday and identified himself only as a volunteer there. "We decided not to enter the lottery and sue the city of Long Beach for trying to take away our state-given rights."
California voters legalized marijuana for medicinal use in 1996.
News Hawk- GuitarMan313 420 MAGAZINE
Source: presstelegram.com
Author: Paul Eakins
Contact: Info
Copyright: Los Angeles Newspaper group
Website: Medical pot outlets get notice to vacate
