More Marijuana in Mar Vista? Say It Ain’t So!
Posted in Business Profile, Community, Mar Vista on 18. Jun, 2009
There’s a chance a marijuana dispensary will open up on Venice Blvd, just west of Grand View. We call it our little downtown business area, and many of us don’t want to see that kind of a storefront there. I certainly don’t.
I already know about 2 other dispensaries in the neighborhood (one just about 1.5 blocks west on Venice Blvd. on the north side, and the other on Washington Place just east of McLaughlin), and I am a middle-aged mom. There are probably others I’m completely unaware of.
This location is 2 blocks from my kids’ school, and much closer to 2 preschools. And I realize that the actual marijuana for medical purposes is legal. But isn’t there a moritorium on opening any new dispensaries in the city of LA?
And here’s my strictly business question: have these guys done their market research? I mean, can Mar Vista really support that many dispensaries? I certainly hope it’s a no answer. But it begs the question: if not this, what businesses are going to fill the empty store fronts along our little downtown corridor?
I fully understand that rents need to be paid, and some of these buildings have sat unused for a nearly a year. Mar Vista Mom has profiled The Curious Palate and Floyd’s Barbershop, which have both recently opened, bravely, it might seem, in this economy — and I salute them and support them. They are the kind of businesses I am happy to see in my neighborhood and would love to see something open up there I could really get behind.
Because, as you might have guessed, I am not the target customer for the dispensary. No surprise, right? I am really looking for some cute retail options, some places to browse through (and buy from) after I’ve had my hair done at Floyd’s, with a Venice Grind coffee in my one hand, my Farmer’s Market veggies in the other. So if you’ve got a notion to open a store like that, please check out Mar Vista. There are leases to be had!
Got 2 cents to share on this one? Leave a comment.
An original post by Sarah Auerswald.
Sometimes what is more shocking (to this very square person) is how many people I know who DO smoke pot! Then I think, well, I like wine…I know I know, wine is legal, but still, I try not to live in a glass house. Fascinating that there are so many places in Mar Vista though, that does seem odd.
Julia’s last blog post..Climbing Safety
Sarah – thank you for writing about this!
The Mar Vista Community Council has been actively working towards getting the city to implement the moratorium that is in effect. Sharon Cummins and Steve Wallace have been at the forefront of this and working with our City Councilman Bill Rosendahl. The issue is not whether medical marijuana should be legal. The issue is that these businesses are operating without any regulations and there need to be restrictions on how many can operate in a given area and where they can be located.
Read this article in the LA Times about the issues faced already in Eagle Rock – and we are right behind them – http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-outthere30-2009jan30,0,2484619.story
A suggestion – let’s all leave letters for the landlord at that location telling them why we are concerned!
We are all benefiting from the retail renaissance occurring in that part of Venice Blvd and the fast take off of Curious Palate and now Floyds demonstrates that the community will support local businesses!
For two people who grew up on Maui, I’m sure most people would be shocked to know we don’t smoke pot. And perhaps a little surprised to know about the Maui part, too.
Sarah Auerswald’s last blog post..More Marijuana in Mar Vista? Say It Ain’t So!
And Sherri, thanks for all that information and the suggestion of letters for the Landlord.
Sarah Auerswald’s last blog post..More Marijuana in Mar Vista? Say It Ain’t So!
Check out today’s LA Times – the City Council took action yesterday!
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-medical-marijuana20-2009jun20,0,6593932.story
This is why is it such a problem – these are targets for crime as they are a cash business with inventory that can be sold for full retail value. This was this week – reported on CBS and in the LA Times
Armed Robbers Hold Up Medical Marijuana Business
WEST LOS ANGELES (CBS) ―
AP
Authorities Friday were looking for four suspects who robbed a medical marijuana dispensary in West Los Angeles.
The crime took place before 11 p.m. Thursday in the 2000 block of Cotner Avenue, according to Richard French of the Los Angeles Police Department.
Three men armed with handguns robbed the business of $15,000, as well as marijuana, French said.
The suspects fled in a silver, late-model Cadillac that was driven by a fourth suspect, French said.
A similar crime reportedly occurred on Wednesday night in the Reseda area.
It looks like Ed reyes committee will be doing the hearings on all existing medical marijuana dispensaries that opened after the interim control ordinance was put in. If there are real complaints about our mar vista locals, not just trash and parking, then maybe e-mail councilmember.reyes@lacity.org with copy to councilman.rosendahl@lacity.org
I would put “Complaint: ‘exact address and name of the facility’” in the subject line so their staff can easily locate it later.
love you Sarah, but the dispensary will put your local dealer out of business.
I say be pragmatic about it. I’d be fine with a dispensary in my neighborhood.
Jessica, I was waiting for you to find this post — and very afraid of it at the same time!
Thanks for the comment!
Since The Organic Pharmacy, a marijuana dispensary located on Washington Place, opened our neighborhood has seen a sharp increase in crime. There have been incidents of manic drunk driving, cars being broken into, assaults (involving a worker from the shop and a neighbor,) gang graffiti, public narcotics use and a narcotics being sold in broad daylight.
My family and I are very concerned, are considering relocating to a different neighborhood, and have spoken to police. The police were very understanding, but told us their hands were tied and they were too short staffed to adequately increase patrols in the area. They said the city council is our best bet for getting any regulations past.
I’m by no means opposed to marijuana dispensaries, but it is clear that if this type of trouble follows their openings, then the council needs to put in place some sort of rules or restrictions to protect the neighborhood while still allowing access to medicinal marijuana.
At this point we are very frustrated and disappointed.
The “Medical Marijuana” clinic on Lincoln Boulevard in Venice, between Venice and Washington was also hit in the last few weeks. Isn’t “Medicinal Marijuana” supposed to be for “terminally ill” people? If you drive by the one on Cotner during the day, it’s CLOSED, but after 10:00PM the open sign is neon lit and there are a bunch of product samplers on the front steps smoking away – they don’t look terminally ill to me and I thought I was driving through a picture of woodstock. LAPD is actually trying to close down some of them because they are mostly fronts, and selling to anyone and everyone! They recently just graduated classes for dispensary licenses with no qualifications other than taking the class – WEEDS is a great show, but do we need Andy driving stoned through our streets where our kids are playing??? It only means more burglaries from our homes and cars to purchase their products, and it will down grade our property values, as a Mar Vista Native Realtor I can honestly attest to that! Keep flooding those letters to the property owners, tell them I will glady give them a discounted rate on leasing those emply spaces to legitimate business’ that will keep our community safe and sound!
How is it that you have to be 21 to buy alcohol but only 18 to buy in these medical marijuana clubs????
Check out the map in today’s article in the LA times – http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-dispensaries-i,0,5658093.htmlstory