Medical Marijuana Dispensaries in L.A. See Ray of Hope in Face of Ban: California Supreme Court Could Throw a Lifeline

By Dennis Romero Thu., Jan. 19 2012 at 12:26 PM

We feel a little sorry for all those pot shop employees sweating out the future of their paychecks, but the battle over marijuana dispensaries in Southern California is turning out to be epic, with the kind of last-minute touchdowns we saw in last weekend's 49ers-Saints game.

It has us on the edge of our seats.

Score one for the pro-cannabis nation: The California Supreme Court will take up the very state court ruling that has jeopardized cannabis stores in this pot shop capital of the nation.

The court is going to review Pack v. City of Long Beach, which essentially threw out the way cities like Long Beach and L.A. planned to regulate dispensaries.

L.A.'s response to that was to propose doing away with pot shops all together. The rationale was that, after trying to reign them in with a lottery system that would whittle shops down to about 100, and with rules about how they could operate via permit, the court said you can't do it that way, so why even bother?

While some marijuana-rights activists claimed there were ways around the ruling, L.A. is moving forward with an outright ban.

Not so fast?

The state Surpreme Court will also review City of Riverside v. Inland Empire Patient's Health and Wellness Ctr., Inc., which held that cities could indeed ban dispensaries outright.

The two rulings have been vacated while the big dogs take a look. That means their conclusions and ramifications are not in effect.

The group Americans for Safe Access is psyched by the review and the possibility that these two decisions could be overturned. Joe Elford, ASA's legal honcho:

These cases were very problematic for patients and their ability to safely and legally access a medication that works for them. We're very pleased that local governments will now be unable to use appellate court decisions to deny patients access to medical marijuana in their own communities.

[@dennisjromero / djromero@laweekly.com / @LAWeeklyNews]

Tags:

ASA, California Supreme Court, dispensaries, Long Beach, marijuana, medical marijuana, pot shops

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Jer

Definitely!. . . the very simple fact is that marijuana medication tells its successes and that they just can't be hidden for very long.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Semi di Cannabis

William Clock

we will study the common time frame administration .www.rayban-rayban.com

Mala K.

As usual, Romero's nonchalance and disdain for the seriousness of un-freakin-constitutional behavior, fair access to natural medicine, and an industry that could bring many jobs for our country (not to mention what could happen abroad: the diminishing of the Mexican cartel?!) shines in his sardonic, useless writing. Job well done.

Dennis Romero

Thanks so much. (Bows).

Benjamin Lerner

Are these the pressing issues of our time (medical marijuana and porn production)? Why has the city council wasted their time and a lot of our money trying to violate a law passed by the majority of Californians. Medical Marijuana is a State Law and has been since 1996. Let's respect the will of the voters. Stop trying to enforce moral and medical issues, something the council knows little about.

Sadly, the City Council wants to put another group of employed people out of work. The adult film business employs legal adults that work without being forced. The city has no place wasting its time on a industry that does not employee enough people to waste resources on. Let the adult industry self-regulate.

Many on the City Council seem obsessed with these issues? Funny, these are the same people calling for less Government in our lives?