A moratorium on new medical marijuana dispensaries was ruled invalid Monday by a Los Angeles Superior Court judge, who said that the move was against state law.
The ruling occurred after medical marijuana collectives sued the city last month in response to the extension of the ban.
In the lawsuit, the collectives said that the wording in the law was unconstitutionally vague and that it was against state law to extend the ban.
The city responded that the moratorium was passed for the public’s safety.
Although this injunction only applies to a single dispensary, it has been seen as a harbinger to future rulings regarding the enforcement of the moratorium for other dispensaries in the city.
An estimated 800 dispensaries are currently operating in Los Angeles County.
Four such dispensaries and a medical cannabis doctor are located in Westwood.
Susan Leahy, manager of the Farmacy in Westwood, said the moratorium was inconsistent with state law because it lasted more than two years. Since the ban, more than 800 unlicensed marijuana dispensaries have opened without the proper paperwork and charging sales taxes, she said.
She added that the county did not enforce the moratorium until last week, when District Attorney Steve Cooley said most dispensaries in the county were operating illegally and that he would close a majority of them.
Compiled by Samantha Masunaga and Cristina Chang, Bruin senior staff.