With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Medical Marijuana Advocates Won't Get Referendum on Ballot
A dispensary in the San Fernando Valley | Photo by mares8 via LAist Featured Photos
In the hopes of getting a referendum on the ballot to counter the city ordinance that will bring about the closing of hundreds of dispensaries in L.A., a group of medical marijuana advocates had until the end of yesterday to collect 27,425 valid signatures, according to the Daily News. But the coalition, headed by Mar Vista's The Rainforest Collective's Daniel Halbert, only came up with about 15,000.
Halbert believes that the shortfall is due to the amount of time they were given to pursue the signatures, noting: "If we had a total of 30 days, we would have achieved (our goal). This is a very popular issue, but the city purposely delayed the approval of our petitions and ate up 10 of our days." Halbert says the coalition will now seek consultation from lawyers "about possible litigation." Other dispensaries have already filed suit.
The ordinance, long haggled out by city officials and approved in late January, establishes "a cap of 70 medical marijuana dispensaries in Los Angeles but grants a reprieve to the 187 whose operators registered with the city prior to a moratorium," though if any of those 187 cease operation, a new shop cannot take its place. Other restrictions include prohibiting dispensaries from being within 1,000 feet of school, parks, libraries, religious buildings and other sites considered "sensitive use."
At LAist, we focus on what matters to our community: clear, fair, and transparent reporting that helps you make decisions with confidence and keeps powerful institutions accountable.
Your support for independent local news is critical. With federal funding for public media gone, LAist faces a $1.7 million yearly shortfall. Speaking frankly, how much reader support we receive now will determine the strength of this reliable source of local information now and for years to come.
This work is only possible with community support. Every investigation, service guide, and story is made possible by people like you who believe that local news is a public good and that everyone deserves access to trustworthy local information.
That’s why we’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Thank you for understanding how essential it is to have an informed community and standing up for free press.
Your support for independent local news is critical. With federal funding for public media gone, LAist faces a $1.7 million yearly shortfall. Speaking frankly, how much reader support we receive now will determine the strength of this reliable source of local information now and for years to come.
This work is only possible with community support. Every investigation, service guide, and story is made possible by people like you who believe that local news is a public good and that everyone deserves access to trustworthy local information.
That’s why we’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Thank you for understanding how essential it is to have an informed community and standing up for free press.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
