Riverside County enduring a patchwork of laws governing medical marijuana dispensaries

The fight over medical marijuana dispensaries in Riverside and the surrounding area continued Wednesday when Wildomar tabled an issue that would have specifically permitted marijuana dispensaries in the city.

The Press-Enterprise reported the disappointment of medical marijuana advocates after the commission delayed a vote on the issue. Wildomar would be the second city in Riverside County to pass a law specifically permitting the marijuana retail outlets. Palm Springs did so last year. Our Riverside medical marijuana attorneys are representing more than a dozen collectives that are being forced to close because of various city ordinances that have passed in an attempt to outlaw the businesses.

Moratoriums or bans on dispensaries have been passed in Riverside, Hemet, Lake Elsinore and Temecula, as well as Riverside and SanBernardino counties. The City of Los Angeles has passed an ordinance forcing the closure of about three-quarters of its dispensaries, while Los Angeles County is in the process of passing an ordinance that would prevent marijuana dispensaries and collectives from operating in unincorporated areas.

The Wildomar commission will take up the issue again at a meeting scheduled for Aug. 4.

Many cities are awaiting an appeals court ruling involving a closely watched case filed over Anaheim’s ban on dispensaries. And Proposition 19, the November ballot issue that would legalize marijuana in California, could also impact current city, county and state laws being enacted in an attempt to regulate the medical marijuana industry.

The CANNABIS LAW GROUP is a law firm dedicated to the rights of medical marijuana patients, collectives and growers and has built a reputation for high-powered, aggressive legal representation of the medical marijuana industry in Southern California. Call 949-375-4734 for a confidential consultation to discuss your rights.