Pubdate: Tue, 23 Nov 2010
Source: Los Angeles Daily News (CA)
Copyright: 2010 Los Angeles Newspaper Group
Contact: http://www.dailynews.com/writealetter
Website: http://www.dailynews.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/246
Author: Troy Anderson
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmj.htm (Cannabis - Medicinal)

SUPERVISORS TO VOTE ON MARIJUANA DISPENSARIES

In an effort to slow the spread of medical marijuana dispensaries, 
the Board of Supervisors will vote Tuesday whether to ban the 
facilities in unincorporated parts of Los Angeles County.

The vote comes as Los Angeles and smaller cities throughout the 
region are working to limit the dispensaries' growth, raising 
concerns they may move into the unincorporated parts of the county 
where 1.5 million people live, said Paul Novak, planning deputy to 
Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich.

"Supervisor Antonovich is concerned about the impact of these 
facilities on the surrounding neighborhoods," Novak said. "You have 
nuisance issues, crime issues and people under the influence of 
marijuana driving through local communities."

But Kris Hermes, spokesman for the Oakland-based pro-medical 
marijuana group Americans for Safe Access, said the county hasn't 
experienced problems with the dispensaries and already has a 2006 
ordinance in place that regulates and requires them to obtain 
conditional use permits.

"We as an organization have for years opposed outright bans on 
medical marijuana dispensaries and have gone to court on numerous 
occasions, the latest of which is a case stemming from a ban in 
Anaheim," Hermes said. "We have folks working on this in the Los 
Angeles area and they are mobilizing patients to express to the Board 
of Supervisors that a ban is not appropriate."

In 2006, the supervisors adopted land use regulations for medical 
marijuana dispensaries to distribute marijuana for medical purposes 
to qualified patients with a doctor's authorization.

Since then, more than 100 cities and nine counties in California have 
banned the dispensaries amid concerns about crime and other problems.

In July, the supervisors directed the Chief Executive Office to work 
with the Department of Regional Planning to draft an amendment to the 
2006 ordinance banning the dispensaries in unincorporated parts of 
the county. In September, the Regional Planning Commission held a 
public hearing on the amendment and voted to recommend approval of 
the change to the supervisors.

Although no dispensaries are currently operating in unincorporated 
parts of the county with a conditional use permit, some are operating 
in violation of the county ordinance, said Karen Simmons, a 
supervising regional planner with the Department of Regional Planning.

"We have a zone enforcement task force that is currently looking into 
those and closing them up," Simmons said.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom