L.A. County to Crack Down on Illegal Pot Shops in Unincorporated Areas
The high times are over for Los Angeles County’s illegal pot shops.
On Tuesday, the Board of Supervisors voted 4-0 to crack down on illicit medical marijuana dispensaries operating in unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County. As part of the plan, a new medical marijuana dispensary enforcement team will be established consisting of representatives from the Department of Regional Planning, Sheriff’s Department, and the offices of the County Counsel, District Attorney and Treasurer-Tax Collector.
The new unit “will speed up our effort to shut down and prosecute illegal marijuana dispensaries,” County Supervisor Michael Antonovich said, adding that illegal pot operations “have routinely attracted a criminal element that threaten community safety and disrupt neighborhoods.” The team is scheduled to provide a progress update to supervisors within the next four months.
Medical marijuana dispensaries have been banned in unincorporated areas of the county since 2011, but that hasn’t stopped them from flourishing. Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas abstained from Tuesday’s vote on the matter.
Read more about the vote here.
