229 medical marijuana dispensaries make deadline for L.A.'s lottery to see which can stay open legally

In hopes of becoming legal medical marijuana dispensaries in Los Angeles, 229 applicants filed by the Feb. 18 deadline to participate in a lottery that will select 100.

This is the city’s second attempt to find a way to separate legal from illegal dispensaries. The first relied on an expired ordinance and was ruled unconstitutional by a judge.

The city clerk’s office released the number of applicants Thursday but declined to provide any information on them. The city attorney’s office is deciding whether the information can be made public, noting that some dispensaries have threatened to sue to challenge the selection process.

The lottery is another small step in the city’s fraught attempts to reduce the number of dispensaries, which had exploded into the hundreds.

Holly L. Wolcott, the clerk’s executive officer, said it’s unclear when the lottery will be held. The office must first review the eight-page applications to determine whether the collectives meet the criteria to be included in the drawing.

Among other requirements, the collectives had to submit at least three documents proving they have been in business since Sept. 14, 2007, and must have at least one of the same operators since that time. City officials have said they believe that fewer than 135 collectives can meet the requirements.

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Medical marijuana case appears headed back to trial

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-- John Hoeffel

Comments

[Joey]

And yet again, real patients (not stoner cheats) find their access in danger. Not that the L.A. Times ever reports on real patients.

[Michael]

The LA Times should just take the word "medical" out of any more articles, and call these businesses what they are, drug pushers.

[Hakatau]

There is nothing in Prop 215 or Senate Bill 420 that says anything about a lottery. I bet that LA doesn't impose lotteries on liquor stores, 7-11s, or banks, either, even though they are historically just as likely to attract ne'er-do-wells as dispensaries.

The city of Los Angeles is being led by myopic ideologues while ignoring both the needs of its patients and the reality that these dispensaries are one of the only things the LA economy has going for it these days...

[matt]

I find it amazing that an issue can touch the lives of so many people in this city, and yet the city council and The LA Times are so completely clueless about the subtleties of the situation. Completely incompetent buffoons at city hall, and a city paper caught fully unaware.

[uncle_charlie]

Stupid dopers

[Stephen J. Smith]

Where is the L.A. Times moral outrage over this? People with cancer, aids, arthritis, glaucoma, etc will be denied access.

Now tell me about some 22 year old cheating the system. And I'll tell you that hasn't hampered the tobacco or alcohol business one damn bit.

[Andrew P]

I don't see how dispensaries, that create jobs and could one day supply government dollars from taxes on revenues, are so terrible. It seems incredibly ironic given such high unemployment.

I live nearby two in Hollywood, and I've never had any problems (way better than vacant storefronts). In front of the liquor stores...now that's a different crowd.

[mitzi]

the majority owner of herbalcure in west LA is disgraced former president of Mepco Oil, Peter Tejera. Mepco Oil shorted approximately one million Californians on gas. This was done by installing an altered chip in the gas pump. Peter owes California over a half a million dollars as a result of the fraud. Peter has not paid his debt but spent three weeks in Europe and did massive renovations to his Santa Monica home. Peter was cited by code enforcement because he didn't have permits. Peter was convicted of battery after beating a woman with a belt. His daughter cried "daddy choked me."
In court documents Peter admitted to giving information to the IRS about a friend of the mother of his child. Do you really want to buy pot from an IRS informant? He could inform the IRS of how much money you spend on pot.
In front of Herbalcure the father of minority owner James Catipay, Dr Anthony Catipay signs marijuana recommendations. Dr Catipay had his privileges suspended by one hospital and revoked by another hospital on the grounds of sexual harassment.

[Conservative Christian]

Jesus said to treat other people the way we would want them to treat us. It's sad that there are people who want to put people in jail over something as mild as a little marijuana. Sure, it has some possible negative health effects, probably a little more dangerous than caffeine and a little less than aspirin, but putting people in jail over it? Taking away their kids? Confiscating their homes?

It's time to start treating people the way would want them to treat us. It's time to stop putting ordinary Americans in jail over a little marijuana.

[Jeff]

This lottery does not mean much, come June the 1000ft buffer goes into full effect and every single elected pot shop will have to move from their current location into a industrial park and as Don Duncan (ASA) has noted there are only 3 workable properties as of now. Landlords in the industrial area's do not want to rent to pot shops due to constant hassles from local law enforcement and the probability of having their properties seized by the Feds. Also their is lots of red tape once the one or two pot shops get a spot in the industrial park area. Grow on site, having the members become active in the cultivating, harvesting and such. Having the pot tested for impurities by a certified lab, law enforcement making sure there is no profiting etc...so as Don said, they have virtually wiped out every dispensary in Los Angeles. Also, what kind of idiot will travel to downtown L.A. to a unsavory area just to grow pot. It's not going to happen. Pot shops will become a thing of the past and the smoke will be back on the streets come this June no doubt.

[matt]

I saw an add for some Big Pharma pill called Chantix last night...I was struck by one particular mention during the warnings recitation; "Chantix may cause disturbing dreams..." I'll take my non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medicine organically thank you. "Marijuana- may cause munchies and long winded discussions with friends", some day that is how a commercial during the news hour will end, and we will be better for it.

[jack]

I wonder if L.A. Times is taking orders from The US Dept of Justice the way Seattle Times is regarding marijuana stories. Oh wait, Seattle times was admonished by the Obama Administration for printing Pro Marijuana articles.

I guess the LA Times must be in really good with the Obama Admin since they only post negative slanted articles about medical marijuana.

[Jeff]

"I guess the LA Times must be in really good with the Obama Admin since they only post negative slanted articles about medical marijuana."

Really? I don't see any negativity in this report. My constituents and I have never seen any negativity on the med pot issues come from the L.A. Times. As we see it, the LA Times always report it how they see it with no bias or negativity. The LA Times keeps us informed, gives us a place to discuss, vent or not, and that is a good thing.

[In The Know]

The city of Los Angeles are a bunch of clueless yes men. If they just went and made some fair regulations, the number of collectives would reduce and all the money the city is spending on all these lawsuits could go to paying down the budget. Instead, they want to waste taxpayer money in a vain attempt to close everybody. Total and complete incompetence. For shame.

[Swami Xtra]

Similar lotteries must now be put into place for CVS, Walgreen's, etc. and liquor stores which in most cases are one in the same. Wondering how something such as the number of allowed medicine providers can be frivoulosly decided by something as random and dirty as a lottery. This is not Super Lotto people!