L.A. City Council bans medical marijuana dispensaries - Polidicks

[quote=LA Times][img]http://www.latimes.com/media/photo/2012-07/71299889.jpg[/img] By Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times July 25, 2012 In what could be a turning point in the city's seemingly unending battle to regulate the distribution of medical marijuana, the Los Angeles City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to ban all pot dispensaries, while also opening the door to possibly let some remain. Under the ban, all of the 762 dispensaries registered in the city will be sent letters ordering them to shut down immediately. Those that don't comply may face legal action from the city. Medical marijuana activists erupted in jeers after the decision, and police officers were called into the council chambers to quell them. Some activists threatened to sue. Others vowed to draft a ballot initiative to overturn the ban. "We're not going to make this easy for the city of Los Angeles," said Don Duncan, California director of Americans for Safe Access. The new ordinance will allow patients and their caregivers to grow and share marijuana in groups of three people or fewer. But activists complain that few patients have the time or skills for that, with one dispensary owner saying it costs at least $5,000 to grow the plant at home. Councilman Jose Huizar said the ban, which received a last-minute show of support from Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and police Chief Charlie Beck, will help bring peace to neighborhoods that he says have been tormented by problem dispensaries. "Relief is on its way," he said, noting that the ban would allow the city to close shops without having to prove that they are violating nuisance or land-use laws, as is the case now. But the issue was clouded when the council also voted to instruct city staff to draw up a separate ordinance that would allow dozens of pot shops to remain open. Officials said that proposal, which would grant immunity to shops that existed before a 2007 moratorium on new dispensaries, could be back to the council for consideration in three months. Huizar voted against that motion, which he said might give the public "false hope" that the ban would not be enforced. But Councilman Dennis Zine, who voted for both the ban and the plan to allow some dispensaries to stay open, suggested that police might not enforce the ban against the city's original pot shops while the new ordinance is being drawn up. "The officers will be given that information and we will concentrate on the other locations initially," Zine said. However, Councilman Paul Koretz, who proposed the ordinance to allow some shops to stay open, called Tuesday's prohibition "a ban until otherwise noted." How cities should regulate distribution of pot has been a gray area since California voters passed a 1996 initiative legalizing medical marijuana even though any sale of marijuana remains illegal under federal law. Officials are looking to an upcoming ruling by the state Supreme Court for clarity on whether cities can regulate and ban dispensaries, but that may not come for another year. Council members said that in the meantime, something had to be done to reduce the number of dispensaries, which outnumber Starbucks coffee shops in Los Angeles two to one, according to Councilman Paul Krekorian. Beck, who appeared before the council, said dispensaries can be hot spots for crime, citing burglaries, armed robberies and killings. In a letter to lawmakers, he said most pot shops are "for-profit businesses engaged in the sale of recreational marijuana to healthy young adults." But those who support dispensaries say the ban will simply drive distribution of marijuana underground. That's what Steven Lubell, an attorney who represents several of the city's original dispensaries, predicted. "Is it going to go away? No," said. "It's going to go to a darker side."[/quote] :downs: Is this really happening?

Do note that it isn't entirely banning but regulating very harshly, regardless it's very unnecessary.

[quote]Others vowed to draft a ballot initiative to overturn the ban.[/quote] Hopefully this this will be done ASAP. This is extremely stupid. [editline]24th July 2012[/editline] Pretty sure they're in violation of State law for this.

Well, of all places to do this I wasn't expecting California. I thought it'd be legalized entirely there first before anywhere else.

shutting down businesses in the middle of a recession thats smart

[QUOTE=Lachz0r;36924112]shutting down businesses in the middle of a recession thats smart[/QUOTE] They're untaxed anyways.

There's 700+ dispensaries in this city alone. That's too much. That's way too much. I'm down for keep medical marijuana dispensaries open, but there should be a limit.

[QUOTE=Lachz0r;36924112]shutting down businesses in the middle of a recession thats smart[/QUOTE] Beat me to it. Aren't city counsels supposed to represent the people in their city? [editline]25th July 2012[/editline] [QUOTE=TehWhale;36924163]There's 700+ dispensaries in this city alone. That's too much. That's way too much. I'm down for keep medical marijuana dispensaries open, but there should be a limit.[/QUOTE] Why should there be? L.A. is a huge city, how many of those are small operations for ease of access?

im above the in fluense

[QUOTE=TehWhale;36924163]There's 700+ dispensaries in this city alone. That's too much. That's way too much. I'm down for keep medical marijuana dispensaries open, but there should be a limit.[/QUOTE] And when since there should be a limit of how many places patients can get their medicine?

[QUOTE=TehWhale;36924163]There's 700+ dispensaries in this city alone. That's too much. That's way too much. I'm down for keep medical marijuana dispensaries open, but there should be a limit.[/QUOTE] why fuck, beat me to it

there's literally fucking dispensary on every corner. It's too much.

[QUOTE=TehWhale;36924208]there's literally fucking dispensary on every corner. It's too much.[/QUOTE] should there be a limit on mc donalds and other fast food stores?

[QUOTE=TehWhale;36924208]there's literally fucking dispensary on every corner. It's too much.[/QUOTE] That doesn't really answer the question.

there's not a fucking pharmacy on every corner, why should there be a dispensary?

[QUOTE=TehWhale;36924163]There's 700+ dispensaries in this city alone. That's too much. That's way too much. I'm down for keep medical marijuana dispensaries open, but there should be a limit.[/QUOTE] Oh, right, competition is bad for capitalism, how could I forget?

[QUOTE=peabrain101;36924229]Oh, right, competition is bad for capitalism, how could I forget?[/QUOTE]i'm not saying limit it to like 5, i'm talking 200-300 dispensaries, that's plenty of competition

[QUOTE=TehWhale;36924234]i'm not saying limit it to like 5, i'm talking 200-300 dispensaries, that's plenty of competition[/QUOTE] so should put the other 400 dispensaries out of business just because you think it's too many?

"out of business" they're a completely non-profit company selling medical marijuana, it's not going to do anything besides putting volunteers out of a job

[QUOTE=leet;36924160]They're untaxed anyways.[/QUOTE] really should tax em

[QUOTE=TehWhale;36924248]"out of business" they're a completely non-profit company selling medical marijuana, it's not going to do anything besides putting volunteers out of a job[/QUOTE] Let's just base our economic and political decisions on, "Yeh seems like too many, it messes with my vibes and force a few to shut down." I'm for planned economies and even I think this makes no sense.

LA resident here. There is a HUGE abuse problem with some people who use these things and I honestly think although it's getting pretty bad this is going way over the top. The numbers aren't wrong there are too many of these things but just putting an amount on the limit for these things would do and banning them outright just seems like overdoing it.

[QUOTE=TehWhale;36924248]"out of business" they're a completely non-profit company selling medical marijuana, it's not going to do anything besides putting volunteers out of a job[/QUOTE] "it's not going to do anything" Yeah aside from making it harder for people to have access to it, so far everything you have said isn't a very solid answer as to 'why' they should be shut down?

OH MY GOD I HAVE TO DRIVE .2 MILES FURTHER TO GET MY WEED FUCK seriously, even a L.A. resident is in here saying it's too much. because it is.

[QUOTE=TehWhale;36924332]OH MY GOD I HAVE TO DRIVE .2 MILES FURTHER TO GET MY WEED FUCK seriously, even a L.A. resident is in here saying it's too much. because it is.[/QUOTE] At this point the argument isn't even about whether shutting down some dispensaries would be a good thing, but your total lack of reasoning. Some people may abuse it, but shutting down dispensaries won't necessarily solve that problem. Saying 'it's too much because it's too much' isn't a reason.

You see, this is why marijuana needs to just be legalized entirely. You got people who are more fucked up on things like Vicodin which is significantly more powerful and yet 10x easier to get.

As much as I respect the freedom to smoke pot (nonexistant as it may be) that it would become so integrated into a city, pot stores everywhere, would upset my conservative nature. Which is odd, because I don't seem to have any real justification for it. And also is odd because I smoke pot myself.

[QUOTE=TehWhale;36924248]"out of business" they're a completely non-profit company selling medical marijuana, it's not going to do anything besides putting volunteers out of a job[/QUOTE] You have no idea what "non-profit" means. They can make a profit. They can hire employees. They're just taxed more lax and differently. [editline]25th July 2012[/editline] Also, is there a difference between the city doing this and a county or town becoming "dry" of alcohol?

[QUOTE=Elecbullet;36924405]As much as I respect the freedom to smoke pot (nonexistant as it may be) that it would become so integrated into a city, pot stores everywhere, would upset my conservative nature. Which is odd, because I don't seem to have any real justification for it. And also is odd because I smoke pot myself.[/QUOTE] isn't being a conservative meant to be about the government keeping it's mitts out of small businesses???!!!

[QUOTE=TehWhale;36924163]There's 700+ dispensaries in this city alone. That's too much. That's way too much. I'm down for keep medical marijuana dispensaries open, but there should be a limit.[/QUOTE] So pharmacies should be limited in a huge sprawling city, too? If it's a question of recreational use (or abuse if you want), should there be a limit on liquor stores and shops that sell cigarettes? Not to mention the people walking into pharmacies buying oxycodone and selling it.