Three UCLA Area Medical Marijuana Dispensaries Close

Three Westwood marijuana dispensaries close

By Frank Shyong
Nov. 2, 2009 at 2:10 a.m.

Three of Westwood's five cannabis dispensaries have closed for
unstated reasons.

Westwood Caregivers, California Caregivers Association and Westwood
Healing Co-op have all ceased operations within the last three weeks.
However, The Farmacy on Gayley Avenue and Nirvana Pharmacy on Westwood
Boulevard are still operating.

The closings occur on the heels of last month's news that District
Attorney Steve Cooley and City Attorney Carmen Trutanich planned to
prosecute all cannabis dispensaries which opened under the Los Angeles
City Council moratorium.

However, it is not confirmed that any of Westwood's dispensaries
were targeted in the district attorney's efforts.

A few days after the announcement, the moratorium was voided by a
California Superior Court judge on the grounds that it was illegally
extended. The issue is being forwarded to the Los Angeles City Council.

Trutanich's office has submitted a measure to the city council which
would prohibit the sale of medical marijuana and would force most of the
dispensaries which opened up under the moratorium to close and bar them
from reopening for six months.

Lev, the owner and manager of Nirvana Pharmacy, said he will continue to
run his business until authorities force him to shut it down.

"I have no idea what's going on," said Lev, who didn't
want to be identified by his last name. "The situation was
stabilizing, but now it's shaky again."

Calls to the other dispensary owners were not returned, but an eviction
notice taped to the front door of Westwood Caregivers states that owners
Jeremy Thomas and Justin Klein were operating with an invalid lease.

The city council is expected to vote on an official ordinance sometime
this month.

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