The Los Angeles Times reports that the L.A. City Council will delay consideration of a draft ordinance regulating medical marijuana dispensaries until a Jan. 13 special meeting.
“The City Council’s proposed restrictions on where medical-marijuana dispensaries could locate in Los Angeles would eliminate most sites, according to maps drawn by city planners,” the Times reports.
“City Councilman Ed Reyes said Tuesday that the current proposal — a 1,000-foot buffer between the dispensaries and residences or other “sensitive” areas, such as schools and parks — ‘will go out the window right away.’”
City planners also looked at the potential effect on the 137 existing dispensaries that the council wants to allow to remain in business. With a 500-foot setback from residences, 132 would have to move, and with a 200-foot setback, 119 would have to find new locations.
“We’re going to try to find a sweet spot,” Reyes said.
The updated Times article did not make mention of perhaps the more pressing issue facing the council: declarations from City Attorney Carmen Trutanich and Los Angeles District Attorney Steve Cooley that they would prosecute dispensaries that sell marijuana in violation of the Compassionate Use Act’s “nonprofit” designation for medical marijuana providers.
