The Los Angeles City Council has just voted to ban all medical marijuana dispensaries--Councilmember Paul Koretz was the only person to vote against the ban, which Councilmember Jose Huizar wrote (although LA Times reporter William Nottingham says on Twitter that Koretz changed his vote, probably to prevent the need for a second vote next week). KPCC reports that the ordinance passed today will "prohibit the sale of medical cannabis in retail establishments. However, exemptions will allow patients to continue growing marijuana for their own use, and primary caregivers may continue to distribute the drug." So don't worry about the cancer patients, they will be fine as soon as their physicians find a dealer. No, but the City Council did also vote "to look at how 182 clinics that registered with the city prior to 2007 could one day be resurrected."
You may remember that the city actually passed an ordinance a few years back that theoretically capped the number of pot shops at 70, but allowed for the 182 to stay open. The AP boils down the aftermath: "a set of legal challenges against the city by collectives and last month’s expiration of the ordinance thanks to a sundowner clause led to another surge of pot shops." Meanwhile, the state supreme court has agreed to rule on whether local governments can ban dispensaries, but they haven't held a hearing yet.
Once Mayor Villaraigosa sign the ban into law (and he will, he came out in support of it just this morning), stores will start getting closure notices and the ban will take effect in about 45 days.
· Medical marijuana clinics banned by LA City Council in a 13-1 vote (updated) [SCPR]
· Los Angeles City Council votes to ban hundreds of marijuana dispensaries [AP]
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