The system avoids long delays that are costly for cannabis businesses, said Jerred Kiloh, president of the United Cannabis Business Assn., a trade group for the industry.“This says, ‘You’ve got a timeline to make an educated decision. As their elected representative, “I know my communities better than anyone else in city government” and “am directly accountable to the public,” Blumenfield said. They may have an area where people are saying, ‘We don’t want more of this.’”Cannabis entrepreneurs have been agitating for city licenses in L.A., which put a limited group of existing shops and their suppliers first in line for approval. Under the rules, local neighborhood councils, business improvement districts, and the owners and occupants of nearby properties are also supposed to be notified about such applications in “undue concentration” areas.Harris-Dawson said he had concerns, however, about the fact that such applications could move forward without a vote. Others see that as a good thing.
Los Angeles politicians vowed that neighborhoods would not be overrun with marijuana businesses after the city started regulating and licensing pot shops.
They imposed limits on how many pot shops and other cannabis businesses could open in each area, aiming to prevent an “undue concentration” of marijuana enterprises in each part of L.A.
But the City Council also gave itself the power to lift those caps, allowing more cannabis businesses to open in those neighborhoods even after they reach the supposed maximum. And they don’t have to put that decision to a vote.
The system will grant sweeping power to council members to decide which...
Read the full article @ LA Times