City Cracks Down on Unlicensed Pot Shops

Unlicensed pot shops forced out of Los Angeles won't find safe harbor in West Hollywood, where city leaders are cracking down on dispensaries operating without city permission.

West Hollywood is home to four licensed medical marijuana dispensaries, and city has moved to prohibit any unlicensed shops from opening.

In June the City Council passed an ordinance making it a misdemeanor to operate a dispensary without a license. Previously, a violation of the business provision would result in a citation, the fourth of which would result in a criminal charge.

"We support medical marijuana," said Jeffrey Aubel, code compliance manager for West Hollywood. "However, we realized there's a public safety impact if there are unlicensed collectives operating."

The move to tougher penalities came as the C.A.R.E Collective from Van Nuys began setting up shop on the 7700 block of Santa Monica Boulevard. "We  sent them a stop work order," Aubel said. "As far as we know, they've stopped their operation."

Jason Beck, owner of Alternative Herbal Health Services on Santa Monica Boulevard, one of the city-approved dispensaries, said the strict enforcement will help improve the image of compliant medical marijuana outlets. 

Recent killings at dispensaries in Hollywood and Echo Park raised concerns over the potential for violence as non-regulated shops proliferate.

"We totally support this ordinance," Beck said. "It's about the safe distribution of drugs to our community."

The ordinance comes on the heels of a recent crackdown in Los Angeles on unlicensed collectives. Earlier this year, the city of Los Angeles notified more than 400 dispensaries to shut down by June 7 or face criminal and civil penalties.

Meanwhile, West Hollywood is embroiled in a legal dispute with the Sunset Super Shop on Sunset Boulevard, which the city contends is operating without the proper permits.

The shop has operated since 2004 and changed ownership in late 2007, according to Michael Chernis, an attorney representing the owners. A city provision stipulates that any dispensaries that changed hands after January 2007 are subject to the more stringent rules.

Chernis argues that a conditional use permit secured by the shop when it first opened insulates the property from new city regulations.

The city's lawsuit, filed in May, counters that the permit does not apply to the new owners.

"Because there was a change in ownership, the city has somehow found grounds to file this suit," Chernis said. "It's an injustice."