The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved a motion to “deplatform” unlicensed cannabis dispensaries from online platforms, including Google and Yelp, the Los Angeles Times reports.
In the measure, the Board notes “the transition to a legal cannabis marketplace has faced challenges, including high taxes and barriers to entry for legal dispensaries and cultivation facilities.”
“These challenges have led to a continued unregulated market for cannabis, including many unlicensed dispensaries in some communities. Unlicensed dispensaries are problematic for many reasons, including that their products are untested and may be mislabeled; they do not pay taxes; they promote the illegal cultivation of cannabis, which often comes with many environmental impacts; and their lower prices undercut the legal market.” — “Deplatforming Unlicensed Cannabis Dispensaries,” 9/24/24
The measure adds that unlicensed dispensaries “are also often the targets of violence due to the large amounts of cash on-hand and the reduced likelihood of their illegal operators reporting crimes to law enforcement.”
According to a Pew Research Center study released in February outlined in the measure, Los Angeles County is home to about 10% of the total number of dispensaries estimated to
