Un-Greening LAA Spatial Look at LA’s Medical Marijuana

Ordinaces

Justin OhUP 206A – Estrada

Winter 2011

Key QuestionsHow have LA’s medical marijuana ordinances

affected the number/location of dispensaries?

Did the ordinances accomplish what they were designed to do?

Pre-2007LA City has zoning ordinance in place to allow

dispensaries in accordance with CA Prop 215:Light Industrial / Commercial zones that do not

abut Residential zonesMay not locate within 1000 feet of:

Schools/Childcare facilities Parks Libraries Places of worship Other “sensitive uses” Other dispensaries

2007 - 2009LA 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” loopholeWildly varying estimates of the number of shops:

LAPD – 450LA Weekly – 525Justin Oh – 700KCRW – 1000LA Planning Dept - ??????

Dispensaries in LA County, circa 2007

2009 - 2010LA 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 ownerPass new round of registrations/feesStill in compliance with all applicable regulations

Service of letters to noncompliant dispensaries (May 2010)Backed by City AttorneyPenalty of up to $2500/day of noncompliance, 6

months in jail

The Effect of the Ordinances

Today – Down to 41Latest 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

Today – Down to 41

Hollywood – A Closer Look

Hollywood – A Closer LookDenser 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

Key QuestionsHow 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.

Skills UsedLayout 1:

Geocoding addresses of dispensariesGeoprocessing (Clipping) LA County shapefile

with California coastlineLayout 2:

Selecting by Attribute to differentiate between authorized and unauthorized dispensaries

Layout 3:Selecting by Attribute to differentiate

between eligible and ineligible dispensaries

Skills UsedLayout 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