Long Beach Tweaks Proposed Medical Marijuana Ordinance

As Los Angeles prepares to dive into their own pot law, Long Beach is already taking it head on. Last night they voted to make some changes to a proposed medical marijuana ordinance, loosening some restrictions, before finalizing the law. "The changes included, among others, allowing collectives in mixed-use areas; removing prohibitions against having collectives within 1,000 feet of libraries and parks; improving patient privacy issues so as to not identify every member of a collective; giving a grace period for existing collectives to comply once the law goes into effect; and allowing collective patients to grow marijuana in their homes," reports the Press Telegram.

Many prohibitions stayed in place, however, including prohibiting collectives in "esidential areas or within 1,000 feet of schools, licensed child-care facilities, playgrounds, youth centers or other collectives; limits hours of operation to between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m.; and restrict marijuana distribution to collective members only."

Despite all that, marijuana advocates felt the location restrictions would be difficult to abide by. Long Beach is estimated to have between 50 and 60 dispensaries--Los Angeles has over 800, maybe even around 1,000.