Ban Extended on Cannabis in Unincorporated Areas of Los Angeles County
In a unanimous settlement, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted to extend a ban on both medical and non-medical cannabis activities. The head-scratching decision affects areas surrounding the city that have been called the nation’s cannabis capitol, with nearly 1,000 active dispensaries as of January 2017.
The original 2010 ordinance amended County Code Title 22, the county’s Zoning Ordinance. The ban on dispensaries has been in place since 2010, however, the board extended the ban to prohibit the cultivation, manufacture, testing and distribution of the plant. In a 31-page letter, the updated ordinance the Los Angeles County Regional Planning division replaced the word “marijuana” with “cannabis.” The ban also limits indoor home growing to six plants for Los Angeles County residents living in unincorporated areas. Per the ordinance, plants may not be visible from a public right-of-way or above a fence. Cultivation of cannabis is also prohibited within 600 feet of a school or daycare center.
“There’s a lot of work yet to be done with respect to this brave new world that we’re about to enter. The ban does not mean that we are reinstating the war on drugs or that we are opposing the vote of the people,” said Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas. “We are trying to create rational, responsible and accountable cannabis commerce.” Ridley-Thomas added that dispensaries alone are not the only detriment to low-income communities, but that liquor stores are also to blame.
The ban is supported by representatives of Rethinking Access to Marijuana, who urge local lawmakers to include provisions to limit packaging and labels that appeal to children.
It’s not clear how the ban will immediately affect the number of dispensaries in unincorporated areas. Some experts estimate that over 1,500 dispensaries are open in Los Angeles. Within the city limits of Los Angeles, hundreds of dispensaries operate illegally or in the gray area. The unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County cover over 2,600 square miles and include the areas of Gorman, Topanga, Altadena and West Carson.
