Demise of pot dispensary raises questions locally
By Daily Press staff
LOS ANGELES Amid talks of establishing a medicinal marijuana dispensary on Main Street in Santa Monica comes news this week that one currently operating in Hacienda Heights will soon be closing its doors amid concerns for the surrounding neighborhood.
The dispensary, located at 15838 Haliburton Rd., opened in May 2005 and was the first medical marijuana dispensary in the unincorporated area of Los Angeles County.
“This is a big victory for us,”said LA County Supervisor Don Knabe. “This issue is not about whether medical marijuana is right or wrong — the voters have already answered that question. What is most critical is ensuring the safety of our children and our neighborhoods.
“Closing this dispensary ensures we are keeping our neighborhoods safe.”
The safety questions that concern Knabe would appear to resonate with members of the Santa Monica City Council.
Business partners Nathan Hamilton and Logan Aries are looking to open a medical marijuana dispensary near the corner of Main and Pacific streets in Santa Monica. They contend the facility would serve the 100 patients in Santa Monica who currently commute outside of city limits to fill their prescriptions.
Hamilton and Logan are waiting for a business license from City Hall before they set up shop, a process that could prove difficult given some city officials’ hesitancy to grant the license and a lack of zoning that governs medical marijuana dispensaries.
Marijuana has been shown to relieve nerve pains related to HIV and cut back on the vomiting and nausea that accompany cancer chemotherapy, but the exact medical benefits are still debatable.
California voters passed a proposition in 1996 legalizing the sale of medical marijuana. In November 2006, Santa Monica adopted Measure Y, which made adult personal marijuana use the lowest priority for the Santa Monica Police Department.
At the time the Hacienda Heights location opened, no regulations in the county governed marijuana dispensaries.
Knabe led a subsequent effort to make sure the dispensaries would be adequately regulated in the interests of keeping neighborhoods safe.
On May 9, 2006, the Board of Supervisors approved an ordinance that regulated marijuana dispensaries in the county.
The new ordinance contained a clause stating that a marijuana dispensary must be at least 1,000 feet from a sensitive location, such as a school, church or library.
Under the new regulations, the dispensary in Hacienda Heights was out of compliance with that clause.
The operator of the dispensary — California Medical Caregivers Association — has settled with the county and agreed to cease all operations in the unincorporated area of the county for which they have not obtained permits or licenses required under the new regulation.
The operator will vacate the Hacienda Heights location on or before April 30, 2007.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on February 22, 2007. Read the original PDF.