Almost 13 years after California allowed the sale of marijuana for some medical conditions, storefront pot sellers are nearly as easy to find as a taco stand, says USA Today. Police and prosecutors say the law is vague on who can sell pot and when they can do it. They worry that the state created safe havens for drug pushers who are doping the population with immunity.
“They appear to be run by drug dealers who see an opening in the market and a way to make a fast buck,” says San Diego district attorney Bonnie Dumanis, who says every pot store her office has looked at is operating illegally. Thirteen states, from New England to the Pacific Northwest, have passed laws permitting marijuana possession for some medical reasons even though the drug is illegal under federal law.