Los Angeles (myFOXla.com) – City Attorney Carmen Trutanich has started taking action against medical marijuana dispensaries to a new level. John Schwada has more on the crackdown of the dispensaries in this video report.

SOURCE: MYFOXLA.COM

Saying the vast majority of dispensaries in Los Angeles County, about a 100% of which are operating and dealing marijuana illegally in the city, need to be dealt with.

Cooley and Carmen Trutanich, Los Angeles City Attorney, only recently concluded the barring of medical marijuana sales by the state law, an opinion that could lead to renewed efforts by law enforcement statewide to rein in use of marijuana, coming at a time when polls show marijuana legalization has the support of a majority of state voters, and who are working to place the issue on the ballot next year.

Following police raids, a dozen of such dispensaries are being investigated by the district attorney’s office, and is considering filing felony charges against one straddling the Los Angeles- Culver City line.

Medical marijuana advocates believe the law is being misinterpreted by the prosecutors, which if they are right means thousands of seriously ill Californians the Compassionate Use Act was meant to help, would be deprived of the medicine they desperately need.

The explosion in the number of such dispensaries in Southern California has caused immense frustration to law enforcement officials, who argue most are for-profit enterprises, thus violating the
1996 voter initiative that legalized the use of medical marijuana and the 2003 state law that permitted collective cultivation.

There are an estimated 800 such dispensaries in the city of Los Angeles, of which the city allowed 186 to remain open under its 2007 moratorium. However, hundreds of others opened in violation of the ban, with the city doing nothing to close them down.

In August, Cooley and Sheriff Lee Baca informed all county mayors and police chiefs via letter that they considered such over-the-counter sales as illegal, including encouraging cities to permanently ban the dispensaries.

It is not surprising local prosecutors have decided to attack the rapid proliferation of marijuana stores, as it can be seen as a natural response to the rather flagrant marketing practices of these dispensaries, whose medical veneer has been wearing thinner and thinner.

In addition to prosecuting dispensaries, Cooley says he will also consider going after doctors prescribing medical marijuana for healthy people.

This has led to marijuana advocates to organize peaceful protests, demonstrating against the move.

SOURCE: VISITBULGARIA