Dennis RomeroThe Los Angeles City Council today was expected to pound in the last and necessary nail in the coffin of its own pot shop ban. In other words, it will take a final vote.
Medical marijuana advocates were expected to gloat.
The UFCW Local 770 (which has organized some dispensary workers), the Greater Los Angeles Collective Alliance, and others who opposed the dispensary ban will be in force at City Hall after the vote:
They'll gather on the west steps of City Hall following the repeal's second reading (the first vote was 11-2, so it seems there's little hope that enough votes would change to affect the final outcome).
The City Council previously voted to prohibit dispensaries in the city altogether, but pot shop advocates organized a referendum, gathering enough signatures to either make the council overturn its own ban or make it put the issue before voters.
The body decided to do the former.
Yami Bolanos, president of the Collective Alliance, says the next step for dispensaries is to persuade the feds to back off of their pot shop crackdown.
The will of this Council, evident by the ban's repeal, is for limited safe access within our City. We call upon the Federal government to respect their position. We urge them to immediately cease and desist from the threats and intimidation tactics directed at Los Angeles operators and their landlords.
Good luck.
[Update at 1:17 p.m.]: The council did it. On an 11-1 vote, they seconded that emotion, according to our City News Service feed. This thing is over. Councilman Jose Huizar, who was opposed to the repeal and who was the main force behind the ban, was absent.
[@dennisjromero / djromero@laweekly.com / @LAWeeklyNews]
Advertising disclosure: We may receive compensation for some of the links in our stories. Thank you for supporting LA Weekly and our advertisers.