Nonprofit storefronts that sell medical marijuana will be banned in the city of Los Angeles under a proposal approved Tuesday.
The Los Angeles City Council voted 14-0 to 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.
The vote, which came after hours of public testimony and debate, drew sharp criticism from patients who use medical marijuana to tame the side effects of their illnesses. Some public speakers shouted at council members and then the police officers who took to the council chamber after the vote.
Earlier in the day, the council heard from patients and advocates of medical marijuana.
“A ban on medical cannabis collectives and cooperatives is an attack on patients. They need this. It can work in other cities,” said Don Duncan, the California director of Americans for Safe Access. “You guys have to get it together and pass regulations that protect safe access for legitimate patients for legal operations.”
The original vote against the ban was 13-1, with Councilman Paul Koretz dissenting. However, the councilman later flipped his vote so the ordinance could get to Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa’s desk sooner. The ban will take effect in about 40 days. Dispensary owners who do not close their businesses could face fines or misdemeanors, according to the City Attorney’s Office.
A total of 762 clinics have registered with the city under Measure M, which imposed a gross receipts tax. An additional 100 to 200 dispensaries are in operation, said Jane Usher of the City Attorney’s Office.
In addition to the ban, the city council voted 9-5 to look at how 182 clinics that registered with the city prior to 2007 could one day be resurrected.
Click here to continue reading this article at KPCC – Southern California Public Radio
Click here to join the existing comments on this subject in the forums.
