Cannabis Law Group's Medical Marijuana Legal Blog
Los Angeles Orders more Medical Marijuana Dispensaries to Close
Our Los Angeles medical marijuana dispensary attorneys urge any dispensary or collective who receives a medical marijuana shutdown order from the city to call us for a confidential consultation to discuss your rights.
The dispensaries that have sought legal representation and chosen to fight have enjoyed a number of recent court victories. As we reported on our Marijuana Lawyer Blog, a judge has ordered the city into settlement negotiations with attorneys for dispensaries after several legal victories. But dispensaries that have not fought the city are facing increasing harassment and are among those receiving shutdown orders.
The Los Angeles Times reports the city has widened its campaign, ordering another 60 dispensaries to close their doors immediately. Two weeks ago, the city’s attorney’s office notified 141 operators and their landlords that they must close. A judge rejected the city’s attempt to attach criminal penalties to noncompliance. The letters warn of possible lawsuits and financial penalties (as if being forced out of business wasn’t a financial penalty).
By the city’s own admission, it is unsure whether some of the locations are open and has no information as to whether or not they are selling marijuana — we guess the threats are just in case.
And they want the businesses to respond! As in, do the city’s job for it.
The city said it will use police resources to “gather evidence” and will then need to file lawsuits to force the closure of marijuana businesses that are not in compliance. Of course, what constitutes compliance is very much open for debate since most of the ordinance passed last year has either been rejected in court or has been changed by the city.
The city said dispensaries continue to open, close and reopen and that it was not possible to get an accurate count, let alone to know which ones are, in the city’s opinion, operating illegally.
The CANNABIS LAW GROUP is representing more than a dozen dispensaries in lawsuits over local city and county ordinances in Los Angeles and the surrounding area. Call 949-375-4734 for a confidential consultation to discuss your rights.