City Attorney Addresses Marijuana Dispensary 'Location Hurdle'

Discussion over locally-operating medical marijuana businesses continued Oct. 10 with another representative from the city attorney's office and Studio City's Land Use and Public Safety committees, where it was revealed that at least three criminal cases have been filed against illegal operating dispensaries between the North Hollywood and Van Nuys LAPD divisions, respectively.

With representatives from dispensaries attending similar to those from the August meeting, talk generated amongst committee members to hold a public meeting in the future to help faciliate the complaint process for illegal operations.

When the city passed Prop D in May, the only medical marijuana businesses allowed were ones that were registered with the city in 2007 and met certain requirements. Deputy City Attorney Tamar Galatzan said dispensaries have met three of four requirements, with the fourth being the "location" hurdle.

"We have their registration before the 2007 ordinance and we put them on the list," she said. "It doesn’t mean they can stay at that location. It just means everything up through Prop D, they’ve complied with."

Galatzan said her office asked the North Hollywood and Van Nuys LAPD divisions to go through the Prop D list and determine how many total dispensaries are open and compare the two.

"North Hollywood has more dispensaries open than anywhere in the city," she said. "There's about 100 and Van Nuys is number two."

Galatzan distributed a list of 16 currently operating dispensaries in Studio City, with five that have met the Prop D requirements. The location hurdle, such as proximity to another dispensary, a school, or house of worship is still fluid since the final list of operating businesses will be distributed throughout Los Angeles by mid-December.

"There’s still motion going on with moving and we won’t have answer till the mid December list because folks are trying to become Prop D compliant," she said. "So, if you have a particular dispensary you’re concerned about, for whatever reason - traffic, music, smelling pot on site, selling to kids - you need to call LAPD and get it on their radar."

Some audience members were not impressed with LAPD's partial coverage of problematic or rogue dispensaries.

"It’s hard to find a compliant location," said one commenter. "People are hesitant to rent to post ICOs (Interim Control Ordinance). It's going to make it really difficult with shops who are compliant to three of the four steps."

Land Use Committee Chairperson Lisa Sarkin also addressed the illegal advertising of delivery and other medical marijuana services observed in the community, even those with sandwich board green cross signs claiming to be Prop D compliant, may not be. The joint committees presented poster boards with snapshots at various addresses all over Studio City, specifically up and down various storefronts and plazas along Ventura Boulevard.