The L.A. City Clerk has announced that, in all likelihood, the signatures for a referendum that would overturn our town's controversial ban on pot shops will likely be verified by Sept. 20.

At the point the City Council will have to decide whether to let the matter come before voters or overturn its own ban.

The Clerk's office says these are the options:

1. Repeal the ordinance;

2. Call a special election to be held not earlier than 110 days or later than 140 days after Council action on the petition; or

3. Add the ordinance to the next regular City election to be held more than 110 days from certification of the petition, which in this case would be the City's March 5, 2013 Primary Nominating Election.

Boom. There it is.

Yesterday we told you about how the L.A. City Attorney's office announced it will hold off on enforcing the ban at least while the signatures are verified.

So that gives you medical users at least until Sept. 20. Actually, the City Attorney's office told us previously that the ban will be suspended until the City Council decides what to do.

There is an off chance that not enough signatures will turn up valid through random sampling and the clerk will have to take an extra 30 days to verify them by hand, but that seems unlikely:

Referendum supporters turned in 49,020 signatures but need only 27,425 from those registered to vote in the city.

In the meantime, toke on, L.A.

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

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