June 9, 2009

Garcetti: Atwater Village Dispensaries 'Unacceptable'

For Lease on Glendale Blvd.DURING TODAY'S Los Angeles City Council vote to deny "hardship" applications for 14 medical marijuana dispensaries, NBC reports, "Council President Eric Garcetti said it was unacceptable that a certain half-mile stretch of Atwater Village has no less than 5 dispensaries."

Garcetti: "People feel under siege. I think there are a lot of people who supported medical marijuana and want access for patients but do not want their neighborhoods taken over - to the point where there are more dispensaries than Starbucks."

3 comments:

jon said...

Under siege, by a dispensary? Are these stores disrupting the community and stopping people from conducting their normal day to day business?

It's a profitable industry, of course people are going to try to open storefronts in a down economy. These businesses actually make money, let them pay their taxes and exist (with reasonable regulations, of course).

Leonora Gershman said...

Actually, Jon, they don't pay taxes. They don't have the very basic businesses licenses that all other businesses are required to have. They don't have wheelchair access. They don't have proper parking (which is why so many of their customers double park on Revere).

Eli Sentman said...

Wheelchair access??? I am not a customer of these businesses so these businesses being open or closed has no influence in my opinion. I think even if they put in a ramp for wheelchairs the NIMBYs would try to force the closure of these businesses. I say it is better/safer for people to buy marijuana (a safer drug than alcohol) in a legitimate place rather than from some drug dealer or gang banger. Better yet just legalize it and tax it like tobacco and lower our taxes...