Un-Greening LA: Part IIA Spatial Look at LA’s Medical Marijuana

Ordinances

Justin OhUP206A – Estrada

Winter 2011

Key QuestionsHow have LA’s medical marijuana ordinances

affected the number/location of dispensaries?

Did the ordinances do what they were meant to do?

Is there a disconnect between the ordinances and community concerns?

Pre-2007LA City establishes rules for where medical

marijuana dispensaries may locate:Light industrial/commercial zone not abutting

any residential zoneNot within 1000 feet of “sensitive uses”

Schools/Day care centers Places of worship Parks, libraries, etc. Other dispensaries

2007 - 20092007: Interim Control Ordinance places

moratorium on new dispensaries (capped at 186), but it is largely ignored:Lack of oversight/enforcement“Hardship exemption” loopholePresident Obama

Wildly varying estimates of dispensariesLAPD: 450KCRW: 1000

LA Dispensaries, circa 2008

2009 - 2010June 2009: LA City Council establishes new

ordinance permitting 186 dispensaries to operateHardship exemption removedIn operation prior to 2007 ICO under same name,

at least one original ownerNew round of registrations/feesStill in compliance with all applicable regulations

May 2010: LA City Attorney serves over 400 dispensaries closure notice

Effect of June 2009 Ordinance

2010 - 2011October 2010: New ordinance attempts to

cap number of dispensaries at 70, strictly enforce regulationsCity Clerk finds only 41 dispensaries in

compliance with all regulationsDozens of dispensaries sue City

February 2011: LA Superior Court Judge declares newest ordinance unconstitutional

What Could Have Been

What Could Have Been

Today – Waiting to Win the LotteryMarch 2011: City Council announces new

round of applications for lottery228 applicants selected for 100 slots141 owners served closure notices

Meanwhile, LA voters approve Measure M on March 8Tax of $50 of every $1000 in gross sales on

dispensariesExpected to raise about $10 million a year

How Did We Get Here?Community complaints against dispensaries

have been increasing over the last several years:Crime and blightIllegal sales/useOversaturation in some areasLack of regulations; location violations

How Did We Get Here?Community complaints against dispensaries

have been increasing over the last several years:Crime and blightIllegal sales/useOversaturation in some areasLack of regulations; location violations

Oversaturation20 dispensaries within 3.29 mi2 = 6.08/mi2

Oversaturation27 dispensaries within 16.5 mi2 = 1.64/mi2

Oversaturation19 dispensaries within 8.9 mi2 = 2.13/mi2

Oversaturation21 dispensaries within 7.87 mi2 = 2.67/mi2

Sensitive Uses

Proximity to “Sensitive Uses”Many dispensaries entered into the latest

lottery are in violation of location rules

HHC

Camino Nuevo High School

Soledad Enrichment ActionCharter School (half block south)

ApartmentComplex

Temple

Virgil

Presence of Children

Concentrations of Violators

Key QuestionsHow have LA’s medical marijuana ordinances

affected the number/location of dispensaries?Reduced number significantly (according to

legal status; compliance still uncertain)Not much change to locations – ordinances

were reactive and many violators remain

Did the ordinances do what they were meant to do?Yes; they were meant to cut down the number

of dispensaries and did so

Responses to Community ConcernsLegal methods are probably most effective

against undesirable dispensaries, given their locations aloneCity of LA vs. OrganicaWinnetka Neighborhood Council vs. Hope

Collective

Responses to Community ConcernsMust push City Council to clarify all

applicable regulations and enforce themRegulatory body? Exemptions? Compliance

monitoring?

Concerns about oversaturation are subjectiveWhat is the comparison? Fast-food joints? Drug

stores? Liquor/Convenience stores?

Skills UsedInset MapGeocodingGeoprocessing (clipping, union)Attribute sub-sets selectionBoundary sub-sets selectionBufferingModelingMetadataMeasurement/Analysis (Euclidian distance)Original data (list of dispensaries)Charts, Graphs, ImagesHotspot Analysis

Metadata

Model