Marijuana Dispensaries
California was the first state to allow “medical” marijuana dispensaries. Law enforcement officials are struggling to keep up with the increased crime associated with the influx of pot dispensaries. To date there are over 600 marijuana dispensaries operating in Los Angeles, and in some neighborhoods the number of “medical” marijuana dispensaries outnumbers the amount of Starbucks and McDonalds.
Dispensaries are easy marks for criminal activities because of valuable marijuana crops and large amounts of cash. Operators of dispensaries have been attacked and murdered by armed criminals both at their storefronts and at home. Common secondary byproducts related to dispensaries include: drug dealing, sales to minors, loitering, heavy vehicle and foot traffic in retail areas, increased noise, and robberies of customers just outside the facilities.
Dispensaries are in business to make money and will sell marijuana to anyone who produces a written recommendation. These recommendations can be obtained by paying physicians a fee and claiming any medical condition, even a headache. Dispensaries claim to operate as nonprofit, but they have been tied to organized crime gangs and are often multi-million dollar profit centers.
