Supervisors rolled out the unwelcome mat for medical marijuana dispensaries Tuesday, voting to draft a ban on such establishments in unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County.

The board, acting on a motion by Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich, instructed the county’s Regional Planning Department and the County Counsel to come up with an outright ban that would replace the 2006 ordinance that had regulated the dispensaries with a restrictive conditional use permit process. Before taking effect, the ban must go to the Regional Planning Commission, which will hear public testimony prior to a formal hearing before the Board of Supervisors.

Under the county’s existing ordinance, no medical marijuana outlet has been approved in county territory, prompting Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky to wonder aloud about the need for a new law. “I’m just trying to understand if this is a motion in search of a problem,” Yaroslavsky said.

Medical marijuana dispensaries, which have generated long-running public debate particularly in the city of Los Angeles, have received heightened attention in recent days after a series of shootings at dispensaries in Echo Park, Hollywood and Northridge.

At the same time, the city has scrambled to rein in hundreds of dispensaries after the City Council in January approved an ordinance to regulate such establishments and force many out of business. Some, however, have vowed to remain open, and a legal challenge to the city ordinance is underway.

People on both sides of the issue spoke before the supervisors’ vote. Supporters of the ban expressed concern that regulations against the dispensaries in Los Angeles and other cities would push the medical marijuana sellers into unincorporated areas.

Jacquelyn Lacey, speaking on behalf of District Attorney Steve Cooley, who supports the ban, said the crackdown would send operators into “friendly territory” in unincorporated areas of the county.

Another ban supporter, attorney Tulane M. Peterson, added:  “This is a public safety issue. It is not a debate over the medical properties of a drug.”

But others, like Barry Kramer, a medicinal marijuana patient, said the county shouldn’t discard a “very good working ordinance.” “You just need to enforce that ordinance to keep out medical marijuana dispensaries that should not be opened,” Kramer told the supervisors. “It’s a mistake that the city of Los Angeles made. They never enforced the moratorium that they put in place. And by not enforcing it, they allowed for that proliferation.”

Planning officials said five applicants have formally tried to open legal medical marijuana dispensaries in unincorporated Los Angeles County since 2006. One application was denied, another was withdrawn and three are currently pending, in Monrovia, Covina and East Los Angeles. The Monrovia project, proposed by the owner of a self-serve car wash, has drawn widespread outrage in that community.

The county’s 2006 ordinance gives planning officials leeway to keep marijuana dispensaries away from sensitive areas such as daycare centers and to make sure they are not “detrimental to the surrounding area,” said Mark Child, head of the planning department’s permit section.

Before the vote, Yaroslavsky said the focus should be on illegally-operating dispensaries, which he said cause most of the problems. As an amendment to the motion that eventually was unanimously approved by the board, Yaroslavsky asked that county planners report back with some ideas on shutting down illegal outlets that could be incorporated into the new ordinance. And board chair Gloria Molina directed county planners and attorneys to find ways to move against rogue operators more quickly.

Since 2006, 27 marijuana dispensaries have been caught operating illegally in unincorporated L.A. County. Eighteen stopped when they received a notice from enforcement authorities, five currently are being investigated and four required civil court action, with one case still pending in appeals court.

An amendment from Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas sought to insulate the county from a possible legal challenge to the new ban. Under his amendment, which was adopted as part of the board vote, the ordinance would revert to the current law if the California Supreme Court or Court of Appeals ruled against outright bans.

An appellate ruling is expected soon in a case that could have implications for the new L.A. County measure. A group called the Qualified Patients Organization has challenged the city of Anaheim’s 2007 ordinance barring the dispensaries, saying that it flies in the face of the state’s medical marijuana law. A trial judge backed the city, and the matter is now before an appeals court.

Another potential complication could arise with this November’s vote on whether to legalize marijuana in California. Dr. Jonathan E. Fielding, L.A. County’s top health officer, recently developed an analysis of medical and recreational marijuana for supervisors in advance of that vote.

Posted 7/6/10

Updated 11/23:  As expected, the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday voted in favor of an ordinance that would ban all medical marijuana dispensaries in unincorporated county territory. Led by Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich, the move was taken, in part, because of concerns that crackdowns in neighboring jurisdictions would potentially boost the number of operators flowing into unincorporated county areas.

The ordinance, recommended by the Regional Planning Commission, was approved 4-1, with Supervisor Yaroslavsky dissenting. Yaroslavsky argued that the measure not only undermined California’s voter-approved Compassionate Use Act but was also unnecessary.

Yaroslavsky said that, because of the county’s rigorous permitting process, no dispensaries had legally opened in unincorporated areas. The problems with dispensaries, he said, have been limited to a number of “bad actors” who’ve skirted the process and who’ve not been shut down quickly enough.

To correct that situation, the board unanimously approved a motion by Yaroslavsky that would, among other things, direct county enforcement teams “to utilize the toughest available enforcement mechanisms against illegal operators, including imposing fines of up to $1,000 per day against the operators and/or landlords of illegal marijuana dispensaries.”

It’s summertime, and the living is extra easy, thanks to dozens of free concerts on tap starting this month all over the county.

The 55 free musical performances being staged in public parks, museums and bandshells feature a smorgasbord of styles including pop, R&B, Latin jazz and Louisiana zydeco.

The concert series is hosted by the Los Angeles County Arts Commission with funding in each district from the members of the Board of Supervisors.

In the Third District, the fun starts with a gig by Brazilando at LACMA on July 10 and continues with Latin Jazz in West Hollywood and Balinese gamelan in Northridge in August.  (Check out those listings here, and use the tabs to navigate through the listings in other districts.)

The shows run all the way into the fall, concluding with an R&B show by Louis Van Taylor at LACMA.

If that’s not enough free sounds, the County Parks and Recreation Department will host another 23 free shows in the “Parks After Dark” program between July 8 and September 5. The concerts will take place at Pamela Park, Roosevelt Park and Ted Watkins Park.

Beyond its entertainment value, the cultural lineup plays a role in the county’s gang initiative, which aims to reduce gang violence with up-to-the-minute approaches including night basketball and music.

Posted 7/1/2010

Dazzling fireworks displays will be bursting out all over Los Angeles County on Sunday, July 4. The crowd-pleasing pyrotechnics include an incendiary music-and-lights show featuring Vince Gill at the Hollywood Bowl and the famous ocean-side extravaganza at Marina del Rey.

For more options, scan this list to help light the fuse on your holiday celebration.

Posted 7/01/10

Some 70 million people visit L.A. County beaches each year—and 4^th of July weekend is prime time. Stand out from the hordes by preparing yourself with a quick, informative look at the Department of Beaches & Harbors’ new website.

The site features a rotating gallery of photos and a “Tell Me About” section with an exhaustive compilation of links, including information on beach parking, boating safety and things to do.

The site’s “Watch the Water” page includes images from beach webcams, an audio surf report and weather information.

Posted 07/01/10