City Shuttering 4 Marijuana Dispensaries on Atwater Village's Glendale Blvd.

OF THE 439 medical marijuana dispensaries being shut down under a new Los Angeles City Council ordinance, 4 are in Atwater Village:

• Accurate Services Medical Dispensary, 3429 Glendale Blvd.
• Friendly Collective, 3405 Glendale Blvd.
• LA Collective, 3401 Glendale Bl.
• Atwater Alternative Care Collective, 3106 Glendale Blvd.

LA Times reports they must close by June 7. Also on the list: Tender Love Collective, just over the freeway at 2439 Riverside Drive.

Not on the list: America's first "cannabis college," Oaksterdam University, 3153 Glendale Blvd., former home of the casket store.

What's That Odd Little Building by the Post Office?

>I WAS SUSPICIOUS of the window sign, "iced hempaccino," on the building next to our neighborhood post office. Was this yet another new business hanging off the quickly-departing caboose of the medical marijuana gravy train in Atwater Village?

Not exactly. The Yoga Lab, 3362 Glendale Blvd., is a yoga studio, health shop and juice bar rolled into one black-and-white brick box. Blog reader and band member of Silver Phial reports: "I stopped in to the Yoga Lab last week and really enjoyed their selection of drinks and their extensive knowledge of nutrition. Really friendly folks and they have a beautiful sit-down counter."

As for that iced hempaccino? It's purified water, organic coffee infused with herbal extracts, vanilla hemp milk and agave. No prescription required.

Palooka Pipes Didn't Get the Memo

IT PROBABLY seemed like a good idea at the time. But now that LA City Council has initiated the closure of 5 medical marijuana facilities here in Atwater Village, North Hollywood's Palooka Pipes may soon regret opening its second location at 3409 Glendale Blvd. A reader reports: "Down in 'dispensary row' on Glendale across from the Post Office someone just opened a pot accessories store called Palooka Pipes. In the store's sign the 'i' is the outline of a bong." Better late than clever?

Help Find Space for L'Ami Restaurant in Atwater Village

CHEF KAREN YOO, formerly of Campanile and Sona, and soon to be of L'Ami Restaurant, emails a pickle. "My husband and I have been on the hunt for a restaurant space in these areas for the last 6 months, we moved to this side of town recently and we really love it. Since you seem so connected to the area, I figured I would email and see if you might have any inside scoops on available restaurant spaces that we haven't heard of. If you know of anything and feel like sharing please email me, any information would be appreciated." First thought: There may be at least 5 retail spaces suddenly opening up along Glendale Blvd., now that LA City Council has denied applications for our neighborhood marijuana dispensaries. Would growlights be at all helpful with your Market Vegetable Salad? Other suggestions, dear readers? Comment, email, I'll pass them along.

LAPD: Atwater Village Shootings on Decline

LATEST NEWS from LAPD Northeast Division Captain Bill Murphy: Atwater Village: "We had several shootings between the Toonerville gang and the Rascals gang over the past couple of months. We have increased gang deployment in the area and have seen the number of shooting incidents decline (none in last couple of weeks). We are serving Toonerville gang members with permanent gang injunctions. "Only other issue is with Medical Marijuana Dispensaries (MMD) in the area. We have received some complaints regarding how they operate. We have been involved in several meetings with council district staff from CD 13 and CD 14 and they are aware of the problems associated with these MMD locations." And LA City Council is taking its own steps to change how MMDs operate.

Garcetti: Atwater Village Dispensaries 'Unacceptable'

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." More: LA Closes Loophole for Medical Marijuana Dispensaries More: 3 Dispensaries Denied, 2 Withdrawn

City Council Mulls Fate of Marijuana Dispensaries

NEXT TUESDAY Los Angeles City Council is scheduled to consider the fate of 14 medical marijuana dispensaries, including 5 in Atwater Village. The City Council may start enforcing a 21-month-old ban on new dispensaries, informing these that their "hardship exemptions" may not be granted. Atwater Alternative Care Collective: 3106 Glendale Blvd. LA Collective: 3401 Glendale Blvd. Friendly Collective: 3405 Glendale Blvd. Global Meds Collective: 3425 Glendale Blvd. Accurate Services Medical Dispensary: 3429 Glendale Blvd. More about City Council's move in today's LA Times. Thanks to 2 alert readers for emailing me the article.

Old Fabrics Store: Another 'Herbal' Business?

NEIGHBORS HAVE been investigating the old Thousand Fabrics location at 3229 Glendale Blvd., and report on the AVNC forum: "I talked to one of the day labor working at the building a few days ago and asked what is going on. He told me that the building is being divided into two retail/commercial spaces. In broken English he also said that he believed one side has already been leased to some type of apothecary/herbal medicine business." For those of you counting at home, this could turn out to be the sixth medical marijuana dispensary along this 3-block stretch of Atwater Village. Here are photos, addresses and names of the other 5.

Shooters 'n' Smokers: LAPD Update for Atwater Village

ATWATER VILLAGE update from LAPD  Captain Bill Murphy: "We had several shootings between the Toonerville gang and the Rascals gang over the past couple of months. We have increased gang deployment in the area and have seen the number of shooting incidents decline (none in last couple of weeks). We are serving Toonerville gang members with permanent gang injunctions. "Only other issue is with Medical Marijuana Dispensaries (MMD) in the area. We have received some complaints regarding how they operate. We have been involved in several meetings with council district staff from CD 13 and CD 14 and they are aware of the problems associated with these MMD locations." The good captain adds that LAPD's Northeast area "currently ranks first in crime reduction City-wide (out of 21 police stations)" and that "we are down 576 actual crimes (murders, rapes, car break-ins, etc.) compared to last year." LAPD Northeast includes Atwater Village, Cypress Park, Eagle Rock, East Hollywood, Echo Park, Elysian Park, Elysian Valley, Franklin Hills, Garvanza, Glassell Park, Highland Park, Los Feliz, Mount Washington, Silver Lake and Solano Canyon.

City of LA Has More Pot Clinics Than Starbucks Stores

ACCORDING TO a new KCET-TV report, the City of Los Angeles now has about 500 medical marijuana dispensaries, more than it has Starbucks stores. Many pot clinics are open without City permission; they've simply applied for a permit and then opened shop. The SoCal Connected video mentions 11 dispensaries in the neighboring LA neighborhood of Eagle Rock, almost triple the number in the entire city of Oakland, CA. For our part, Atwater Village has 4 pot clinics and only 2 Starbucks shops. See? We're trying to fit in.

Could This Be LA's Most Mind-Altering Block?

View LA's Most Mind Altering Block in a larger map

WHERE ELSE in Los Angeles can you chill out with 4 marijuana dispensaries (plus a hydroponics supply store), drown your sorrows at 6 wine, beer and liquor establishments (plus 2 liquor stores), and get your blood pumping again with caffeine from 2 coffee shops (plus a brownie bakery) , all without getting back in your car?

Welcome to Atwater Village. Not too long ago we thought we only had 2 marijuana dispensaries but AV News now lists 4 of them.

And they're all on Glendale Blvd., mixed in with the depressant vendors (55 Degree Wine, Bill's Liquor) and stimulant slingers (Kaldi Coffee).

Is it any wonder we also enjoy so many art galleries?

• Larger Google Map 
• List of all the "joints" on the map

Yes, Atwater Village, We Have a Marijuana Dispensary

AND IT LOOKS like we're getting a second one, smoking distance from the first. Here's what's known about the marijuana dispensary already open for business in Atwater Village:

• Friendly Collective (sometimes LA Collective)
  
• 3405 Glendale Blvd., Suite B
  
• Operating since February 2009, perhaps earlier
  
• Open 7 days a week (10am to 8pm Mon-Sat, to 6pm Sun)
  
• Has a Money Back Guarantee: "Purchase one of our two highest grade medications ($30/gram) with a money back guarantee. If you try the medication and don't care for it, you can return 75% of the original quantity and get 100% of your money back"
  
• Owned by Joseph Ron Ramirez, according to Los Angeles City Clerk
  
• Cited by the City for failing to obtain a Certificate of Occupancy, which may include installing wheelchair access and on-site parking, like a "drugstore" would have
  

As for the second marijuana facility, it's expected to be the boutique pharmacy opening soon at 3106 Glendale Blvd., across the street and down the block from the first.

A reader confirms (on 4/20, no less): "It's going to be a medical marijuana pharmacy! Is that really what we need to bring change to the village? Unbelievable. All that time the Leasing sign was posted I was hoping for a nice cafe, deli, book shop, anything besides a bloody marijuana pharmacy!"

Now, what about that new brownie place...

New Pharmacy Coming to Glendale Blvd.

IN THE RETAIL center that houses Indochine Vien and Subway (and the defunct Cold Stone Creamery), a reader finds new life: "So I popped my nosey head into 3106 Glendale Blvd to see who's opening up at this location. I only managed to speak to one of the builders who said it was going to be some kind of boutique pharmacy. Let's hope this brings new tenants to the building next to it as well as the old Coldstone building. Be nice not seeing all those to let signs everywhere.... Maybe someone knows more about the so called boutique pharmacy?" And maybe someone also knows why Atwater Village needs a third "pharmacy" within walking distance. Seriously, how much medical marijuana does one neighborhood need? See the leasing company's brochure for this property. The space rents for $3 per square foot per month.