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The Impact of LA's Medical Marijuana Ordinances on Dispensaries: A Spatial Analysis

This study examines the effects of Los Angeles' medical marijuana ordinances on dispensary numbers and locations from pre-2007 to 2011. It highlights the establishment and impact of zoning regulations, interim control ordinances, and enforcement challenges that led to an explosion of dispensaries despite moratoriums. The analysis finds a significant reduction in lawful dispensaries, from hundreds to just 41 eligible ones. The findings reveal that while the ordinances met their goal to decrease dispensaries, location patterns remained largely unchanged, raising questions about the legality of such restrictive measures.

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The Impact of LA's Medical Marijuana Ordinances on Dispensaries: A Spatial Analysis

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  1. Un-Greening LA A Spatial Look at LA’s Medical Marijuana Ordinaces Justin Oh UP 206A – Estrada Winter 2011

  2. Key Questions • How have LA’s medical marijuana ordinances affected the number/location of dispensaries? • Did the ordinances accomplish what they were designed to do?

  3. Pre-2007 • LA City has zoning ordinance in place to allow dispensaries in accordance with CA Prop 215: • Light Industrial / Commercial zones that do not abut Residential zones • May not locate within 1000 feet of: • Schools/Childcare facilities • Parks • Libraries • Places of worship • Other “sensitive uses” • Other dispensaries

  4. 2007 - 2009 • LA City Council establishes interim control ordinance, placing moratorium on new dispensaries (March 2007) • Moratorium is largely ignored: • Poor oversight and enforcement leads to an explosion of new dispensaries • “Hardship exemption” loophole • Wildly varying estimates of the number of shops: • LAPD – 450 • LA Weekly – 525 • Justin Oh – 700 • KCRW – 1000 • LA Planning Dept - ??????

  5. Dispensaries in LA County, circa 2007

  6. 2009 - 2010 • LA City Council adopts a new ordinance allowing 186 dispensaries to operate (June 2009). Hardship exemption removed, and only allowed to operate if: • In operation prior to 2007 ICO under same name, at least one original owner • Pass new round of registrations/fees • Still in compliance with all applicable regulations • Service of letters to noncompliant dispensaries (May 2010) • Backed by City Attorney • Penalty of up to $2500/day of noncompliance, 6 months in jail

  7. The Effect of the Ordinances

  8. Today – Down to 41 • Latest round of registrations/applications determined only 41 dispensaries are still eligible to operate (February 2011) • City has asked District Judge to determine if such a restrictive ordinance is legal • Multiple lawsuits from owners pending

  9. Today – Down to 41

  10. Hollywood – A Closer Look

  11. Hollywood – A Closer Look • Denser concentration of dispensaries than most LA neighborhoods • 69 in 16.5 sq.mi 4.18 dispensaries/sq.mi (2007) • 26 in 16.5 sq.mi 1.58 dispensaries/sq.mi (2011) • Most disqualified dispensaries violate location rules; very few odd cases spatially

  12. Key Questions • How have LA’s medical marijuana ordinances affected the number/location of dispensaries? • Number – Decreased drastically (at least those operating lawfully, not delivery-only) • Location – Not much change; ordinances were reactive • Did the ordinances accomplish what they were designed to do? • Yes; they were designed to cut down the number of dispensaries in LA and did so.

  13. Skills Used • Layout 1: • Geocoding addresses of dispensaries • Geoprocessing (Clipping) LA County shapefile with California coastline • Layout 2: • Selecting by Attribute to differentiate between authorized and unauthorized dispensaries • Layout 3: • Selecting by Attribute to differentiate between eligible and ineligible dispensaries

  14. Skills Used • Layout 4: • Inset Map of Hollywood area by adding new data frame • Selection by Location to create layer of dispensaries, schools, parks, and libraries within census tracts of interest • Buffering around “sensitive uses” to indicate restricted areas in which dispensaries cannot locate

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