A Spatial Look at LA’s Medical Marijuana Ordinances Justin Oh UP206A – Estrada Winter 2011

Key Questions How 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-2007 LA City establishes rules for where medical marijuana dispensaries may locate: Light industrial/commercial zone not abutting any residential zone Not within 1000 feet of “sensitive uses” Schools/Day care centers Places of worship Parks, libraries, etc. Other dispensaries

: Interim Control Ordinance places moratorium on new dispensaries (capped at 186), but it is largely ignored: Lack of oversight/enforcement “Hardship exemption” loophole President Obama Wildly varying estimates of dispensaries LAPD: 450 KCRW: 1000

LA Dispensaries, circa 2008

June 2009: LA City Council establishes new ordinance permitting 186 dispensaries to operate Hardship exemption removed In operation prior to 2007 ICO under same name, at least one original owner New round of registrations/fees Still in compliance with all applicable regulations May 2010: LA City Attorney serves over 400 dispensaries closure notice

Effect of June 2009 Ordinance

October 2010: New ordinance attempts to cap number of dispensaries at 70, strictly enforce regulations City Clerk finds only 41 dispensaries in compliance with all regulations Dozens of dispensaries sue City February 2011: LA Superior Court Judge declares newest ordinance unconstitutional

What Could Have Been

Today – Waiting to Win the Lottery March 2011: City Council announces new round of applications for lottery 228 applicants selected for 100 slots 141 owners served closure notices Meanwhile, LA voters approve Measure M on March 8 Tax of $50 of every $1000 in gross sales on dispensaries Expected 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 blight Illegal sales/use Oversaturation in some areas Lack of regulations; location violations

How Did We Get Here? Community complaints against dispensaries have been increasing over the last several years: Crime and blight Illegal sales/use Oversaturation in some areas Lack of regulations; location violations

Oversaturation 20 dispensaries within 3.29 mi 2 = 6.08/mi 2

Oversaturation 27 dispensaries within 16.5 mi 2 = 1.64/mi 2

Oversaturation 19 dispensaries within 8.9 mi 2 = 2.13/mi 2

Oversaturation 21 dispensaries within 7.87 mi 2 = 2.67/mi 2

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 Action Charter School (half block south) Apartment Complex Temple Virgil

Presence of Children

Concentrations of Violators

Key Questions How 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 Concerns Legal methods are probably most effective against undesirable dispensaries, given their locations alone City of LA vs. Organica Winnetka Neighborhood Council vs. Hope Collective

Responses to Community Concerns Must push City Council to clarify all applicable regulations and enforce them Regulatory body? Exemptions? Compliance monitoring? Concerns about oversaturation are subjective What is the comparison? Fast-food joints? Drug stores? Liquor/Convenience stores?

Skills Used Inset Map Geocoding Geoprocessing (clipping, union) Attribute sub-sets selection Boundary sub-sets selection Buffering Modeling Metadata Measurement/Analysis (Euclidian distance) Original data (list of dispensaries) Charts, Graphs, Images Hotspot Analysis

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