Los Angeles creates map of city’s medical marijuana dispensaries

It definitely isn’t Weedmaps. But Los Angeles has released a map of identified medical marijuana dispensaries within the city limits, in part so consumers can look up whether retail locations have had criminal charges filed against them.

The new map, created by L.A. Controller Ron Galperin, comes the same week in which city officials are expected to release a draft of new proposed regulations for the cannabis industry, in advance of the January rollout of California’s new statewide MMJ rules and rec industry.

Galperin hopes consumers will take advantage of the map to be more discriminating when choosing dispensaries. In turn, the system could turn into a way of rewarding businesses that obey the law and punishing those that don’t, according to Curbed Los Angeles.

However, according to Galperin’s estimates, there are still roughly 1,700 dispensaries operating in the city, while only 139 have paid the tax certificate required under a 2013 city ordinance, Proposition D, that only allows for up to 135 dispensaries. That law was supposed to be repealed and replaced under a new city ordinance approved by voters in March, Proposition M. But the replacement regulations are still in the works by the city council.