The crackdown against medical pot shops across Southern California began as soon as the state's highest court ruled last month that cities could enforce their dispensary bans, Police have raided a legion of medical marijuana dispensaries across the Southland, while legal threats have been issued to hundreds more. From Santa Ana to San Bernardino, cities that had put the kibosh on the pot shops now had potent legal ammunition in which to shut them down. By late last week, San Bernardino had shuttered all but 10 of its 33 banned dispensaries - including two the city raided Wednesday - and was gunning to finish off the rest. Burgs from Beaumont to Anaheim have followed suit. [continues 1198 words]
The store had been a perfect fit for Martin Khachaturian's small Canoga Park strip center. It brought in tons of business. It paid its rent on time at well over market rates and up to a year in advance. It was a good neighbor and even had its own security guard. But then Los Angeles clamped down on hundreds of medical marijuana shops across the city and the dispensary known as the Roscoe Compensation Collective closed its doors - its three-year lease gone to pot. [continues 1218 words]
