Los Angeles to begin debate on proposed medical marijuana law

The city of Los Angeles is moving closer to shutting down hundreds of medical marijuana dispensaries. The City Council’s Public Safety Committee debates new regulations next week.

Those regulations would prohibit medical marijuana dispensaries from operating within a thousand feet of each other – or of schools, churches, parks, libraries, hospitals, drug rehab and child care centers.

In addition, their operating hours would be limited from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and inventories would be capped at five pounds of dried pot, or 100 plants. They’d also be subject to city inspection.

The proposed ordinance follows an explosion of pot dispensaries across L.A. Officials estimate 800 operate in the city. They say many provide pot to anyone who walks through the door.

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The city attorney’s promised to shut most of them down.

Under the proposed ordinance, dispensaries would have to follow state law and operate as collectives that provide marijuana only to members with serious illnesses. The proposal defines a collective as a group of qualified patients, their primary caregivers, and the people they authorize to cultivate pot for them.

California voters legalized medical marijuana when they approved Proposition 215 in 1996, but there has been little agreement about regulating outlets. Many cities ban marijuana dispensaries. Initially, only individuals were allowed to grow pot, but the law was amended in 2003 to allow collectives to grow the plants, leading to the growth of pot stores.

KPCC Wire Services contributed to this report.