The Los Angeles medical cannabis industry will have to wait another month for a verdict on its near-term future.
City Council members delayed a vote this morning on two significant MMJ proposals until late July, a move that was widely expected. One of the proposals calls for a complete ban on dispensaries in Los Angeles, while the other would force most – but not all – centers currently operating to shut down.
City leaders said they will take up the issue on July 24.
As we noted in our story earlier today, the delay could stifle efforts to rally MMJ supporters to protest the bans, and it extends the uncertainty for medical marijuana businesses.
But it also could be an attempt by city officials who support medical cannabis to convince their peers to vote for the second of the two proposals, or the so-called “gentle ban” on dispensaries. That measure would allow roughly 100 dispensaries to remain open, ensuring that the industry continues to exist in Los Angeles.