Dozens of Pot Shops to Close Under New Medical Marijuana Ordinance

The 9-3 vote on Tuesday represented the culmination of nearly three years of deliberations.

The ordinance sets a cap of 70 dispensaries in Los Angeles, however, it allows some 186 that registered before a 2007 moratorium to remain open as long as they meet the other ordinance requirements.

If any of those dispensaries shuts down or goes out of business, they will not be replaced until the overall number is reduced to 70.

Dispensaries that opened after the moratorium by taking advantage of a legal loophole will be shut down immediately. Officials estimate that between 800 and 1,000 dispensaries are operating in the city, most of them illegally selling marijuana for recreational use.


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