Wednesday, July 25, 2012

LA Unanimously Votes to Ban Medical Marijuana Dispensaries

Yesterday LA city council voted unanimously to ban all medical marijuana dispensaries in LA County save for a select few.

A ban that they do not have the appropriate means to enforce. A ban that will only create more lawsuits and cost both the city and patients more grief. Once the mayor signs this into law, all dispensaries in LA county will have 30 days to close.

This useless/senseless ban will overwhelmingly hurt the communities where they generate potential for massive tax dollars and local jobs.
Also note the way most mainstream media outlets relate to these medical marijuana dispensaries as "pot shops",  it speaks to the level of stigma that still surrounds the provision of marijuana as medicine. You have to admit, no one's ever called a CVS pharmacy a speed shop, or heroin bar because it's just society's 'Cheech & Chong'-ed characterization of marijuana use that has created this demonization of marijuana as a hallucinogenic drug. But somehow pills that are derived from the same ingredients as heroin and speed, we have no qualms about.


http://www.americansforsafeaccess.org/StopTheBanLA

UPDATE: Ban goes into effect on or around September 1st.
http://www.thcbiz.com/news/industry/1230-it-s-official-l-a-mayor-antonio-villaraigosa-signs-law-banning-medical-marijuana-dispensaries.html