MARIJUANA DISPENSARY TO BE SHUT DOWN

HACIENDA HEIGHTS - A medical marijuana dispensary that is allegedly
operating illegally in unincorporated Hacienda Heights is in the
process of being shut down, Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe
said in a media release last week.

The dispensary, located at 15608 Gale Ave., near Hacienda Boulevard,
was discovered to be operating illegally last week by county
inspectors who found it was being run without a business license or
other required approvals by the county.

Formal violation notices were left with dispensary employees on July
15, and additional notices mandating immediate closure of the
dispensary were to be posted this week, Knabe said.

Under an ordinance adopted in 2006, medical marijuana dispensaries are
allowed to operate within most commercial and manufacturing zones in
unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County with a conditional use
permit and a business license.

Dispensaries cannot be located within a 1,000-ft. radius of sensitive
uses, such as schools, playgrounds, parks, libraries, churches and
child care facilities. They also cannot be located within 1,000 feet
of other dispensaries unless a variance is obtained from the Regional
Planning Commission.

The county requires all medical marijuana dispensaries to have the
required permits and licenses prior to opening for business.

"Dispensary operators have a duty to be responsible community partners
and this operator has clearly failed miserably," Knabe said of the
Hacienda Heights dispensary. "The county will continue to actively
seek immediate closure of operators who do not follow the rules.

"This is not about whether medical marijuana is right or wrong - the
voters have already answered that question. What is most important is
ensuring the safety of our children and our communities, and ensuring
that properly-permitted dispensaries operate within the law."