Council Dispensary Vote: Compassion or Weed Wacking?

Earlier this week, we reported on changes that are needed in the medical cannabis industry.  Well, this Friday (June 22), the L.A. City Council takes up two competing proposals for how to deal with an industry that’s gotten out of control.

On the one hand, L.A. City Councilman Paul Koretz and Council President Herb Wesson have made a motion to direct the City Attorney to draft an ordinance that will allow patients limited safe access to responsible operators. The City Attorney would develop an ordinance that establishes strict guidelines for dispensary operations and subject them to city oversight.

This should curb the sorts of abuses we’ve read about, reduce the number of dispensaries, maintain high-road jobs and allow continued access of patients to their medicine.

On the other hand, Councilmen Jose Huizar and Mitchell Englander have proposed a so-called “gentle ban.”  But far from being gentle, their proposal would shut down every dispensary in L.A.– high-road and low-road – and leave most patients with no access.

You can go to the UFCW website to send a message to your councilmember in support of the Koretz-Wesson approach, and against Huizar and Englander’s total ban.  And you can join workers and patients at a City Hall rally at 9 a.m. on Friday morning.