[SeniorBuzz]

169 seek to run medical marijuana establishments in LA

When the deadline passed Monday afternoon, Los Angeles city officials counted 169 notifications from people who intend to continue running medical marijuana dispensaries.

Dispensary operators crowded the city clerk’s office to beat the 4 p.m. deadline that ended the week-long notification period. Burdened by the paperwork-intensive process, relieved staffers cheered when the last form was filled out.

“The majority came in on the Mondays and then it was steady in between,” said Holly L. Wolcott, the executive officer for the city clerk. The ordinance, which took effect June 7, limits dispensaries to those that had registered by Nov. 13, 2007, have the same operator and have moved no more than once.

Those dispensaries have six months to comply with the ordinance, which puts tight restrictions on their locations. City officials, conducting an informal survey, estimated there were about 137.

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