The Los Angeles City Council voting to limit sharply the number and location of medical marijana stores. The Los Angeles Times says the decision, reached after hours of often heated debate, came more than 4 1/2 years after the council first looked at the issue. At that time, there were four known dispensaries in the city. Hundreds opened while the city failed to enforce a moratorium on dispensaries and pass an ordinance.
The council voted to allow 70 dispensaries. It also decided to allow dispensaries that had registered with the city and are still open in their original locations to continue to operate. The city attorney’s office put the number at 137. The cap would take effect only if the number of dispensaries dropped to 70. The council decided that dispensaries will not be allowed within 1,000 feet of schools, parks, libraries, residences or sites with other so-called sensitive uses. Supporters said the restriction was critical to protect neighborhoods; opponents and dispensary operators said it would eliminate most locations in Los Angeles, where commercial strips are often next to houses.