L.A. Releases List Of Marijuana Dispensaries Vying For Licenses

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Photo: THC Finder

​The Los Angeles City Clerk on Wednesday released a list of 228 medical marijuana dispensaries that have applied to participate in a lottery to select 100 dispensaries to operate in the city.

The clerk’s office said it is still reviewing the information on the eight-page form and supporting documents to ensure all applicants meet the requirements to qualify for the drawing, reports John Hoeffel at The Los Angeles Times. To qualify for the lottery, dispensaries must have paperwork showing they were in business on September 14, 2007, and still have at least one of the original owner/operators.

“This is likely to take us a while,” said Holly L. Wolcott, the city clerk’s executive officer. Wolcott cited the office’s limited staff and the complicated requirements in the ordinance.
“I have no prediction as to when we will complete this process, but we are working diligently to review each packet,” Wolcott said.
The lottery is the latest attempt by the City Council — who have struggled for years with the dispensary question — to decide which shops will be licensed to operate legally and make it easier for the city’s lawyers and police to shut down hundreds of other dispensaries.
The clerk’s office originally announced it received 229 applications. Wolcott said it is unclear whether one applicant met the February 18 deadline, and the office is “investigating the circumstances.”
When Los Angeles adopted a moratorium on new dispensaries, it required the shops that were in business when the ban took effect — on September 24, 2007 — to register, and 182 of them did. The City Council chose the same date to use as a cutoff for the lottery.
City officials said they believe only about 135 registered dispensaries are still open for business. But medical marijuana advocates have said many other shops were in business at the time but failed to register, which could explain the higher number of applications.
The complete list of dispensaries applying to participate in the lottery can be accessed by clicking here.
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