L.A.'s Illegal Ban on Medical Marijuana Dispensaries

[libertyjam]

http://reason.com/blog/2012/07/25/las-illegal-ban-on-medical-marijuana-dis

Jacob Sullum | July 25, 2012


As Brian Doherty noted last night, the Los Angeles City Council yesterday voted unanimously to impose a blanket ban on medical marijuana dispensaries, including all 763 currently registered with the city. On its face, that vote conflicts with a ruling issued a few weeks ago by California's 2nd District Court of Appeal, which has jurisdiction over Los Angeles. As Los Angeles Times editorial writer Dan Turner pointed out before the city council's vote, the appeals court overturned a ban on medical marijuana dispensaries in unincorporated parts of Los Angeles County, concluding that the ordinance was pre-empted by state law.

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[dannno]

Ya cities are pretty retarded when it comes to this stuff, mine is no exception.

There was a point back in 2006 or 2007 when we had over a dozen dispensaries operating in my small city/town. Everything was great, un-regulated, un-hindered, lots of competition and good bud. It was around that time that the city voted for an ordinance that stated cannabis was to be the lowest law enforcement priority.

The Feds came in towards the end of the Bush administration and shut down about 90% of the medical dispensaries. I think they all shut down for a few days and then there were about 4 that opened back up shortly after.

The city then decided that they wanted to regulate the dispensaries. The problem is that they are clueless about economics.

They wanted all of the following conditions met:

1) Limit the # of dispensaries

2) Curtail excess profits of the dispensaries

3) Decrease illegal trafficking

If you limit the # of dispensaries, then you have hundreds of patients at each dispensary every day with long lines day in and day out. So how do you NOT make excessive profits under these conditions? Well, you lower your price. The problem is that if they lower their price, then this will encourage their product to be trafficked illegally on the open market. They didn't realize that all of their goals contradict each other.

[youngbuck]

Here in CO, Castle Rock also banned dispensaries. All they're doing is shooting themselves in the foot by restricting business and commerce and their resultant tax revenues. Whatever, any city that bans them is ran by douche bags for whom I couldn't care less.

[Kelly.]

^^^^ ft collins banned them also

there are a few legalization measures on the ballot this year (WA, OR and CO), so hopefully one of the states will vote to legalize it and force the feds to overrule the people.

[ZENemy]

including all 763

That has to be at least 1500 jobs. Just what Cali needed, MORE unemployment.

[COpatriot]

Yeah I live in Colorado Springs and the "strong economy, small government, pro-job growth conservatives" tried to ban all MMJ dispensaries in the unincorporated areas of the city by putting a measure on the ballot. They were too stupid to even campaign for it and only lost by a few hundred votes. The dispensaries and the rest of us had to put signs up all over town and barely won. People like that piss me off.

I hope we legalize it in November. I'll sure as hell vote for it.