LA County's Pot Shop Ban Struck Down
LOS ANGELES (AP) — A California appeals court has struck down Los Angeles County's ban on medical marijuana dispensaries.
The 4th District Court of Appeal ruled Monday that because the state's medical marijuana laws authorize cooperatives and collectives to grow, store and distribute pot, a lower court judge erred when she cited the 2010 ban in granting the county an injunction against the Alternative Medicinal Cannabis Collective last year.
However, the decision does not mean the coast is clear for the Covina dispensary. The Court of Appeal says even though L.A. County can't outlaw pot shops completely, local lawmakers still can limit where they locate require them to obtain operating permits and business licenses.
Federal prosecutors also have cracked down by moving to seize the building that houses Alternative Medicinal Cannabis.
(© Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
