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Medical Marijuana Dispensaries Sue L.A. Over City Ordinance

Tue, Mar 02, 2010 4:05 pm

more: headline news, medical marijuana, medical news, california, la city council

�A medical marijuana advocacy group, Americans for Safe Access, and two L.A. dispensaries are suing the city of Los Angeles over the ultra-restrictive ordinance passed by the City Council earlier this year and signed by the mayor last month. According to the suit, the city’s medical cannabis ordinance “severely restricts access to medical marijuana by effectively forcing plaintiffs, as well as the vast majority of collectives in the City, to close their doors.”

�

Dispensaries would be forced to close because of a new rule in the ordinance that requires a 1,000-foot buffer zone between dispensaries and “schools, parks and places of worship.” If a dispensary is located too close to such a location, owners have seven days to move. However, the dispensaries that are suing the city claim that it is impossible to comply with the new ordinance, as the city’s requirements are unreasonable.

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The suit seeks to stop the ordinance, which takes effect March 14, from being enforced.

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More @ latimes.com

» add a comment

smokeyMcPot

Sep 8 2010, 2:51 pm

and i got lockd up for having hash that got from a shop why were they selling it ???? why are the shops getting rob ???

smokeyMcPot

Sep 8 2010, 2:48 pm

Yeah fuck all the weed shops all have wack ass bud for 80 an 8th come on putting drug dealers out of work makin em go sell coke and glass and pills from the doc... guess thats what they want i cant wait till all these dumb pot heads vote to make it legal so no one like us could be growing it and just the government is going to be growing and putting what they want in it so people could start dyeing from it

catch

Apr 6 2010, 10:55 pm

does that work, what was that look for, it takes a while.

BigE

Apr 5 2010, 5:47 pm

Fuck these Dispen-sorrys they rip off vendors and sell the shit for whacked prices...fuck-em I hope they close all you mother-fuckers down....you run around fucken up the game...most of you idiots don't get the big picture at all...so shut the hell up. Legalize this then its gonna be that...none of you get the fact that if they did legalize it the stock market would crash the system would break...could you imagine if grain became a penny a metric ton...no one would grow it and people would starve around the world...69 percent of people buy from good connection in the world...not b.s. dispen-sorrys. Bunch of bitch ass pucks tryin to run the show in a game they have no fuckin idea...Yeah legalize and watch the price drop and mexico brick weed would be the norm again....what a bunch of dumb fucker you all are.

Stoned Since '76!

Mar 19 2010, 2:04 pm

Not what the MMJ law was intended for, pretty much all the dispensaries in LA are catering to recreational users and you know this. Wake up! The lawsuits won't help anything. Mark my words.
You know what they say....too much of a good thing...

Oh Well

Mar 19 2010, 1:52 pm

Actually, it cost next to nothing to close the dispensaries.
Just a little gas money is all the cost.
The Medical Marijuana scene is totally out of control.
Since I get my Marijuana Meds from good people of the black market without any problems for the past 32 years so can you. Go do your homework and stop complaining.
Another thing, we have been trying to legalize marijuana for recreational use in Cali since the early '70's with no avail so what makes you think it will be legalized soon? Some say it will be at least another ten years before this happens.

greencake

Mar 17 2010, 10:30 am

Hey! X Pot-Smoker! are you eating it ?

NATURALMEDICINE

Mar 17 2010, 10:00 am

...moving on ..towards legalization. normalization, acceptation and freedom. Who needs to suck what X-POT SMOKER?

Idiots

Mar 16 2010, 8:12 pm

Medical marijuana is a joke, people are selling "medicine" with out ever going to school for it like a pharmacist does. this is a joke and a shame. people who really need it should have documented proof from multiple physicians, people selling it have no clue of the effects of it.. not one of the medical doctors who proscribe it ever ask if you have had past addiction problems. just because people haven't died doesn't mean peoples lives haven't been ruined. no one at the age of 13-18 started smoking pot for medical reasons it was all to get high and now once its medical now they have a physical pain or depression or some type of lying accuse. ur not human if u don't suffer from some type of depression in your life, life is hard stop being weak and suck it up and move on...... From an X-Pot Smoker

deadhead1

Mar 11 2010, 12:48 am

Funny how they don't have a 1,000 ft limit for Pharmacies

Grazzy Nole

Mar 7 2010, 10:48 am

City government has been doing this kind of CRAP for years, with building permits, low income housing, stores, etc. Government people get this "god complex" and think they have the power to do anything, and they try to use it to meet their own needs. Law suits, boycotts, and the like are the BEST weapons we have to fight this kind of self-rightous BULLSHIT.

If they would just legalize marijuana we could move on to more important issues. PLEASE, stop wasting American tax payers money fighting this issue, it's pointless. People are suffering and need this medication, PLEASE, stop the suffering and legalize the weed now!

Legalization would solve so many problems. As it is now the only people that kind afford marijuana are the rich.
Poor people can't afford to put out $400 dollars for anything but food, clothing and shelter. Let's legalize it so everyone can benefit from the weed. The government needs a wake-up-call, STOP, letting people suffer, STOP, wasting our money, and STOP, trying to put everyone in jail, who do you think pays the taxes? Duh!

hash man

Mar 6 2010, 9:00 pm

i GOT SOME BUD AND HASH. SILVERPIZZA@ATT.NET

anonymous

Mar 6 2010, 8:54 am

A thousand miles from reality politicians on the rampage!

Frustrated also

Mar 5 2010, 8:59 am

You have to understand that Ritalin,nitrous oxide and the other drugs you mention are not justification for the ONDCP's 15 billion dollar budget,marijuana is. That is exactly why,even with 14 states having medical marijuana,the Justice Department having a "medical marijuana policy and the recent clinical testing that proved marijuana is a safe and efficient medicine,they have not rescheduled marijuana.
And they will continue to refuse to reschedule it.

Free2beme420

Mar 4 2010, 6:52 pm

I love to smoke weed but at the moment it is illegal. I understand the government platform to not put dispensaries near schools or play grounds. Legalizing Mary Jane is a battle. Putting these nice stores near schools is hard for parents to accept because they want there children to be an appropriate age before they choose to experiment with mary jane. Futher more, I think suing might be a brash decision there must be a law somewhere that can combat this issue. I would suggest looking at zoning laws and legal technicalities. I suing someone should be a last resort.

Silent Majority

Mar 4 2010, 3:51 pm

We saw this coming way back .
Play by the rules or complain . Take your pick .

gstlab3

Mar 3 2010, 9:31 pm

AND THE WINNER IS!!!!!!!!!!

THE JUDICIARY!!!!!!

ONCE AGAIN THE JUDGES AND THE LAWYERS..., ARE..?? WHAT?!
WHAT ARE THEY DOING????
THEY ARE TAKING/GETTING OUR.,?" !??! MONEY/ TAX DOLLARS

HOW NICE FOR THEM!!!!!

I HOPE ALL THE LEGISLATIVE AND JUDICIAL SCUMBAGS CHOKE ON ALL THOSE TAX DOLLARS!!!!!!!

GROW YOUR OWN, FREE YOUR MIND, FREE THE PLANET!!!!!!!!!

drewbie

Mar 3 2010, 9:30 pm

this is medical, are any pharmacys or medical supply shops required to follow those regulations? i dont understand

anonymous

Mar 3 2010, 6:27 pm

I need a spliff now, getting prepd for i guerilla grow-op planting some on a schoolyard because i probie last year wasn't identified as a dangerous dreadfull green looking monster lurking to poison children ,,had a pleasant conversation with one of the teachers there in plain sight was happysunbathing my green 'buddy'. Between normal people it's just not an issue not a problem or anything that the government should interfere with.

High in Iowa

Mar 3 2010, 6:13 pm

Snake-

I know that it includes the other areas such as parks, etc..but I was just saying the school part was probably a good idea. I agree with you 100% about the restrictions on the other areas being unnecessary.

pipa

Mar 3 2010, 5:56 pm

BABYLON makes the rules , like here in the Netherlands politicians came up with the same rule and now with national elections coming up right wing politicians abuse the 'not so very important issues' like the rule of coffeeshop needing to be away from schools and everywhere some people want to minimum of 250 meters , now to be extended up to 500 and the righter they represent the further we go. give them an inch... . so hold your ground cannabis outlets medical or recreational we should be between a drugstore a bar a fine restaurant and across the policestation , the hospital and other prime spots like everybody goes to because we work in a drugstore we are police officers we are docters , waiters, teachers, dreamers, believers, young, old, shi.. having a midlife freaking crisis!% Cannabis plants are not illegal so cannot be legalized , it should be just a plant in reach of insects, birds and other animals and man woman and child.

Flush the commode

Mar 3 2010, 5:53 pm

All this smoke and mirrors will disappear,the same way the dispensaries will in November if the legalization initiative is voted in. And the chances are looking very good of that happening.
The only possible problem then will be how the Feds and the ONDCP handle the slap in the face.
Until we get marijuana off schedule 1,the drug warriors will
continue to enforce the federal laws on the books. And all state and local police are sworn to uphold federal laws.
In order to change anything in DC,we need to change DC.
Flush the toilet and remove every sitting congressman until the government starts listening to the people again.

Hit them in the wallet

Mar 3 2010, 5:38 pm

It is too bad that tax payers will be the losers in this lawsuit. It ought to be the people responsible for the problem and they should be run out of office for instigating this stink.
If the city attorney or district attorney had evidence that a dispensary was operating illegally,they should have targeted the guilty dispensaries and left the legal ones alone. They have instead declared war on all dispensaries, and this could get expensive. Especially in these economical times when cities cannot afford millions of dollar lawsuits,or even the cost of hiring attorneys to represent them in a long drawn out and expensive litigation.

Amber Ladd

Mar 3 2010, 2:57 pm

SO behind the L.A. dispensaries, who have been putting up with an unbelievable amount of crap. Keep fighting!

anonymous

Mar 3 2010, 1:07 pm

amen to you brother
"WORD SNAKE"

Snake

Mar 3 2010, 12:38 pm

High In Iowa,
It's not just 1000 feet from schools. it's 1000 feet away from schools, parks, Librarys, houses, apartments, condos and other places where humans live. When you factor in all those places, there is a very limited amount of places to choose from. The people who own these select places are now cranking up the rent, because they know the dispensaries can afford it.

I admit 1000 dispensaries might be a bit much. But how many fast food resturants are in LA county? I would have a legit arguement that the fast food chains do more damage then these dispensaries. What about paycheck loan offices?

If we can spread the wealth of the medical marijuana community around to many different sources, I think we will be in a much better position in the future. Instead of 70 dispensaries fighting to push back on these laws, now we have 1000 dispensaries pushing our movement forward.

anonymous

Mar 3 2010, 12:14 pm

they need to sue heavly on this one...lets see some number $$$ then LA will decide its gonna cost them 500 Million or more to shut down all the dispensaries there talkin about...what all of you forget is it costs about 300,000-800,000 to shut down each clinic that is in so called uncompliance...now multiply that by 300-500 dispensaries there talkin about bein shut down .....do you want your tax dollars spent on shutting down dispensaries that tax the product legally when in all reality you shut them down the stuff goes right to the streets no change in availibiltiy...atleast through dispensaries solves whole lot of privacy issues and its taxed and you exactly where its being done instead of someones house or alley...just my 2 cents but wtf do I know

dusty derick

Mar 3 2010, 9:37 am

fuck that! thats all i got to say. :)

High in Iowa

Mar 3 2010, 1:02 am

Im about as pro medical marijuana as they come but come on dosen't a 1000 foot barrier from schools sound reasonable? Plus it give as the anti-medical people out there one less to complain about. All we need is some idiot saying the dispensaries are targeting youth like big tobacco by being close to them...

hempster

Mar 3 2010, 12:13 am

I'm pro NORML...but dispenceries should be regulated...1000 ft. from schools is reasonable...if you don't comply...close them down.

hmm

Mar 2 2010, 10:53 pm

sounds like you need something to think about if that pisses you off.. people that think there cops piss me off

311onMyBrain

Mar 2 2010, 10:10 pm

god...potheads that can't spell infuriate me.....

hmm

Mar 2 2010, 9:12 pm

sue those bastards

john

Mar 2 2010, 6:51 pm

I hope they when. It could help us herein Michigan. Where a few years behind you here.

hydroponicsbrew.com

unemployed

Mar 2 2010, 6:29 pm

the city council members that are attacking the dispensaries should be out of a job for being so myopic and incompetent, why would they need to spend thousands of taxpayers money to go to court and have a judge tell them their job, as public servants they are supposed to implement the legislation with some common sense.

Johnny Green

Mar 2 2010, 4:34 pm

The plaintiffs will have to argue that this ordinance is placing an undue burden on their businesses, and that there are other, less drastic options that could have been pursued. An ordinance alone is not unconstitutional, but one that is as sweeping as this one goes past the line in my opinion.

I think when all is said and done, some of the provisions will be held constitutional (such as within 1,000 feet of a school or public park), and some will be tossed out (such as the residential requirements). The ordinance will be tossed out and the City of LA will have to redo the ordinance to comply with the court ruling. Whether or not the dispensaries will get retribution after that, only time (and another lawsuit ) will tell.

Regardless of who wins this first round in civil court, it will almost certainly be appealed. Until the State of California steps up and puts together a statewide, comprehensive medical marijuana bill , this fight will rage on.

Johnny Green
http://www.theweedblog.com

Johnny Green

Mar 2 2010, 4:32 pm