L.A. City Council committee rejects applications for 18 marijuana dispensaries

A City Council committee has recommended denying 18 applications for exemptions from the city’s moratorium on new medical marijuana dispensaries.

Twenty other requests were withdrawn, a reflection of the reality that the Council is unlikely to approve many, if any.

So far, the Council has granted no exceptions from the 2007 moratorium, which allowed 186 existing dispensaries to continue operating. Since then, however, hundreds opened without permission as medical marijuana advocates realized the ban was not being enforced.

The Council has voted to shut down 42 dispensaries. There are 779 applications for exemptions. (The city clerk originally put the number at 883, but some applications were incomplete.) Medical marijuana operators and advocates decried the efforts to shut them down.

Craig Rubin, whose application was denied, denounced the process as capricious and a waste of time, noting that the Council was closing businesses that provide jobs in the middle of an economic downturn. Ed Reyes, the councilman spearheading the effort to regain control over the number of dispensaries, said: “What’s disconcerting is that they made the choice to take this risk, and they did it knowing it was illegal. For us to be the bad guys for their decision is hard to understand.”

 -- John Hoeffel

Comments

[Erik Self]

...RIDICULOUS...!!!! too much government involvment here in la stop the billboard blight-- shut down the dispensaries...I think this city council is looking for a reason for them to exist in all the wrong places...marijuana and billboard blight ha ha! we have larger problems than this and I see the nameless faces everyday on the street can you say can't see the forest through the trees?, wake up city council worry about these high rents you let increase 4% this year in an economic downturn- you suck!.... Erik Self

[LVE]

Haven't you heard. The council is not interested in supporting small businesses that cannot provide members of the council with large campaign contributions, free vacations to exotic destinations and other favors. You can also bet that big pharma will soon be playing a role in the dismantling of dispensaries, if they are not already doing so. They don't like competition or reductions in their prescription drug proftis. And we all know who does the bidding of big pharma -- politicians at all levels of government. But alas, there is hope for the unemployed and for those who won't be getting jobs at legitimate medical marijuana dispensaries. Cirque de Soleil will soon be hiring at the Kodak/Hollywood and Highland thanks to the cozy $30 million deal between the council and private real estate developers.

[PMA]

All of these marijuana stores should be shut down. They are all illegal. Prop 215 made it legal for medical marijuana patients to USE marijuana and grow it for themselves. It didn't make it legal to SELL marijuana for any reason. These stores are just trying to make a quick buck - they don't care about patients or anything except their own bank accounts.

[jack english]

dumb..............je......hollywood

[Miss Juana]

Dear Councilman Reyes,
The people of California have voted to legalize medical marijuana. We are about to vote on whether to legalize, regulate and tax it. I hope the people vote yes on Prop 390 -

http://legalizationwiki.org/Ammiano_Bill_AB_390

WHY ARE YOU INTERFERING WITH THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE? KNOW THAT PEOPLE ARE ACTIVELY WORKING TO ENSURE THAT YOU WILL NOT BE RE-ELECTED TO THE LA CITY COUNCIL BECAUSE OF YOUR POSITION ON THIS ISSUE.

LEGALIZE, REGULATE, & TAX MARIJUANA

[Fred Evil]

After four DECADES of a 'War on Drugs,' and seizures still happening all the time, isn't it time to recognize the futility and waste of this failed 'War?'

Allow American farmers to grow it, TAX it, REGULATE it, and all these seizures and violence come to an end, and we won't have to pay for people to live in prisons for years to come. 1/3 of today's prison inmates are there because of drugs, our prisons cost us $200 BILLION a year! With as many as 25 MILLION Americans using cannabis over the last year, we can't afford to house every 'criminal' in the US! With a prison capacity of 3 million, and already full, where would we put the other 22-25 million Americans who ignore this flawed law?

It's time to stop the vilification, demonization and incarceration of non-violent cannabis aficionados! The vast majority of us are home-owning, tax-paying, child-rearing- fully-employed American CITIZENS! Who want nothing more than to relax with a different intoxicant than alcohol (which KILLs 150,000 Americans a year btw, pot kills ZERO).

I pay my bills, I take care of my house and neighborhood. STOP oppressing me because of my relaxation habits.

Marijuana is less addictive than either alcohol or tobacco, kills ZERO people a year through direct use (alcohol kills 150,000, cigarettes 450,000), WHY is it illegal? WHY am I hunted and decried? I hurt no one but myself, and in America, that choice is supposed to be part of our FREEDOM!

[Soso]

Just another blatant example that US law is a joke, when government starts looking the other way when it comes to infraction, activity snowballs.

GB opened the door to illegal torture, wiretapping, and relaxed regulation, which was like turning off the traffic signals at major intersections and expecting every driver to be considerate enough of other drivers. Damn fool thing to do, and he knows it now.

Illegal immigrants protesting in the streets for rights, after being allowed to work for illegal employers, who not only broke the workforce, but cheated the government of tax dollars that would send the average American to prison.

Police cant question the legal status of known gang members that may be in the country illegally, which could save American lives, and make prosecution difficult because of the flight risk.

Taggers are now spray painting art, which decreases community value, because middle class families, and business opportunity into those areas.

Convicts in super maximum prisons, are running gangs on the streets???????? Go figure that one out, someone on the inside has to be helping this one...lol

Politicians are hiding thousands of dollars in the freezer because shhhhhhhhhhhhh, they are cutting illegal deals.

Talk about Mexico corruption, we have corruption right here in the US, that is so deep, its gonna take an Elliott Ness to turn the tide.

Carmen, you hear that?

[Jim Townes]

Seriously the proposition was for medical marijuana - I bet about .01% of the people going to these dispensaries have glaucoma.

LA city/county government is a mish mash mess. There seems to be little coordination, planning to things at all. Billboard policing is an awesome example. The number of dispensaries popping up is somewhat crazy - I don't have an issue with people smoking but lets keep it real the super majority of people in LA going to dispensaries are not for medical purposes, so lets not claim propositions.

Also I'm sure with the mess of a local government we have that there is a ton of taxes not being paid and that if those were collected it would dwarf revenues provided by dispensaries and might be enough to close local deficits.

[Andrew Leon]

I think it's hilarious that they are trying to put a lid on the California Medicinal Marijuana Revolution.

To quote an intrinsically appropriate source...
"Saul: Monkey's out of the bottle, man.
Dale: What?
Saul: Yeah!
Dale: That's not even an expression.
Saul: Pandora doesn't go back in the box, he only comes out."

Point being, Legal Marijuana is a HUGE industry at a time when we need taxable American Industries more than ever. You can't arbitrarily allow certain permits and deny other.

People....we need to start thinking big picture. America's socioeconomic policy would benefit GREATLY from taxation and legalization of Cannabis.

Think of it this way. There were recently HUGE Education cuts to balance the budget. Every unrealized dollar we don't collect on a marijuana tax is money we could be providing directly to schools for new books or computers for the classroom.

Marijuana is a veritable super substance that has the potential to advance medical technology. Huge advances can become a possibility if we legalize and research the active components of Marijuana.

Anyone who has ever smoked will tell you it's less harmful than Alchohol or Tobacco. So why are we letting all of the above benefits pass us by? Because Uncle Sam says it'll cause "reefer madness?"

Please.

Legalize it already and let California do what California does best: drag our great nation into the 21st century kicking and screaming.

-A

[StopTheStoners]

Medical marijuana is b.s. It's like handicap placards. Anyone can get one. People claim they need it for medical problems when most don't have an issue that requires it. I work in HIV and I frequently see people saying they need it because they are HIV positive. Having HIV does not mean you need to smoke pot. Some claim they don't have an appetite. That is not caused by HIV. Stop using meth and you'll be hungry again.

Out of all of the patient's I see, 1 has a medical need and that's because he also has end stage cancer. Every other patient has a drug and/or alcohol problem and is using it as an excuse to get high.

[Alex Datig]

The council is acting in good judgment. "Medical" Marijuana is not approved by the F.D.A. and it's present method of dispensation is totally irresponsible. We do not need drugs to maintain our emotional will of self-entitlement. Prop 215 was not generated to create this climate of “self-will run riot” when it comes to those who want to force their will on the people by telling us drugs such as smoking Marijuana are a health benefit. The entire idea and concept of Medical Marijuana is ill-conceived. People need to learn how to deal with their feelings and not reach for drugs to run away from themselves.

[Brad]

You all deserve it! What did you expect when marijuana was legalized. No controls, no oversight..........congratulations!

[Patricia]

Every dispensary employs at least 10 or 15 people. So it looks we'd better prepare for another thousand or so unemployed citizens to hit the streets. The spike in unemployment and the drop in rental income is going to have a noticeable effect on the local economy.

[Pachecosita]

What's people problem with Marijuana being legal any way?
If you don't like Pot...Don't smoke it ...it's that simple. What if we
take away alcohol from you? Do you like that? I personally don't like alcohol in any form and I'm not going around talking BS against this drug. I just don't drink it...period!
I do smoke pot and I am a proffesional guy that enjoy my join after a hard day work. And it works wonders for my head aches and I love it. It's natural and it comes from the hands of god.

[Craig Rubin]

The proccess is a joke. Paul Koretz ran a pro medical marijuana candidate and has turned his back on the people. Yesterday was like Krystal natch for our community. More jobs being lost and high prices for patients...that is the only result of their effort.

[ByTheSea]

As a patient, I'm glad to see this strict regulation. The quality and prices have been unregulated and there needs to be greater control over the process. It's the patient who ultimately ends up with le$$. Wake up Arnold, it's starring you right in the face!

[Qew]

Who cares? Legal or not there will be advocates on both sides who would rather talk than do anything about it.
I'm smoking, don't care what politicians say, don't care what cops say, don't care what self righteous fundamental religious freaks and hypocrites say. My body, my mind, my choice.
Leave my weed alone or would you like us smokers to start advocating the repeal of prohibition against booze?
I hate drinking, serves no purpose, bad stuff, no medical benefit, gateway drug, outlaw it now.
Arrest and prosecute anyone caught using it, yea there's a cure. Now get off my weed lovers of Anslinger.

[x1134x]

The american people have 2 options:
1. Do nothing, leave the laws the same accepting the fact that the marijuana trade cannot be stopped, and accepting the fact that those who want marijuana can easily access it through a Cartel-to-Gang-to-User distribution system and accepting the crime and jailing costs associated with that failed system. Accept that we’ll send millions of dollars to Mexico for a noxious weed.

2. Realize that marijuana prohibition is unenforceable, and actually CAUSES more crime than it prevents. Change the laws to regulate the access as is done with alcohol, tobacco, automobiles and firearms. Receive tax income from an AmericanFarmer-to-AmericanDistributor-to -User distribution system. Realize that there WON’T be any appreciable increase in marijuana users in the US because those who would choose to use cannabis are already doing so. Allow the millions (or billions) spend on marijuana to remain in the US and NOT have the dollars leave the country yearly to buy a noxious weed for $100 per ounce.

[Gumshrud]

Eli Lilly had over 100 patent medicines containing cannabis formulations prior to 1937.

Why is this non-toxic plant illegal? Prohibitionists are insanely against the people.