L.A. Democrats are getting behind a measure that would shut down most marijuana dispensaries in the city.

In a statement today the local party is calling its endorsement of Measure D a “historic first” because ” … this is thought to be the first time the Los Angeles County Democratic Club has endorsed a medical cannabis proposition:”

Historic, maybe.

But the club admits that it's backing a measure, on your May 21 city ballot, that would shut down all but about 100 shops that have been around since before an October, 2007 city moratorium on dispensaries.

And — you guessed it — Measure D is backed by those shops, represented by the Greater Los Angeles Collective Alliance.

GLACA's Yami Bolanos:

Credit: GLACA

Credit: GLACA

We have chosen to stand with the City and support Proposition D. We are pleased that the political party to which most cannabis patients belong, has chosen to support Proposition D as well.

The measure, written by an L.A. City Attorney's office often opposed to the very concept of dispensaries (City Attorney Carmen Trutanich argued repeatedly in the past that the law does not allow for-profit pot sales), is also backed by Americans for Safe Access and UFCW Local 770, which represents dispensary workers.

Forget the DEA: L.A. Democrats would shut down more weed stores in L.A. than the feds ever have.

There is an alternative:

Measure F would let L.A.'s 1,000 or so cannabis retailers be, so long as they adhere to certain rules, including limited hours, background checks for operators, and staying a good distance from schools.

Both measures would raise the amount of taxes dispensaries pay to City Hall, from $50 per $1,000 in sales to $60.

[@dennisjromero / djromero@laweekly.com / @LAWeeklyNews]

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