Pubdate: Wed, 25 Jul 2012
Source: Long Beach Press-Telegram (CA)
Copyright: 2012 Los Angeles Newspaper Group
Contact:  http://www.presstelegram.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/244

BANNING MARIJUANA DISPENSARIES A SMART MOVE FOR L.A.

The Los Angeles City Council followed Long Beach's wise example today 
and voted to ban storefront medical marijuana dispensaries until the 
courts finally work out whether cities can limit the operations.

It did take more months than it should. The motion passed today was 
first proposed by Councilman Jose Huizar in December. But it is a 
must -- without a ban, L.A. could have found itself permanently stuck 
with a proliferation of problematic dispensaries, and little the 
authorities could do about it. The Long Beach City Council figured 
that out last month and voted to ban the outlets.

An editorial here a month ago, written as the L.A. and Long Beach 
councils prepared to deal with the issue, began by noting that each 
city's legal council suggested full bans on dispensaries until the 
state Supreme Court rules.

The editorial went on:

"L.A.'s gentle ban would allow users who need the drug for medical 
purposes to continue to grow their own. That seems a sensible solution.

"(T)he gentle ban would prohibit for-profit sales. The fact remains: 
Despite state voter approval of medical marijuana sales, they remain 
illegal under federal law.

"Further, despite the fact that the law was never intended to allow 
for-profit operations, outlets are proliferating, and profits can be 
huge -- hundreds of thousands of dollars a year at some dispensaries."

Now Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa must sign it to make the ban into law. 
He should do so without delay.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom