Measure D has passed. This will limit the number of collectives to 135 or fewer in the City of Los Angeles. If you are a post ICO collective, one that opened after Sep 2007, the city of LA will likely be sending you a cease and desist letter in the next few days or weeks. In order to have any chance at staying open, you can retain CANNABIS LAW GROUP to file a lawsuit against the city, asking the Court to allow you to stay open. We have two arguments that are not guaranteed to win, but we believe they give your collective the best chance. First, we will argue that Measure D violates the intent of the CUA and MMPA because it will prevent patients from having safe access to affordable medication. Measure D creates monopolies and with so few collectives and so many patients, the lines will be around the block and the prices will go up.
Second, we will argue to the court measure D discriminates against persons with disabilities because the numerical cap of 135 ensures that there will be no fair competition and the prices will go up - no safe access. This argument will be made under the California Disabled Persons Act, which is similar to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
If we cannot keep your collective open by stopping Measure D from being enforced against you, then our fall back option would be to try and keep you open as a collective not a dispensary. The new California Supreme Court ruling says that cities can ban "facilities that distribute marijuana". It does not say cities can ban collectives. So an option for your collective would be to shut down the dispensary and continue to operate as a collective that uses its storefront location as an information outlet and showroom for the medicine, which is purchased and then delivered elsewhere.
If your collective is interested in any of these services, call Damian Nassiri at Cannabis Law Group's office at 949-375-4734.
La County's Ban Declared Unconstitutional; CANNABIS LAW GROUP to File Lawsuits Against The City on Behalf on Medical Marijuana Collectives