Category: Marijuana Possession

Medical marijuana is legal in Los Angeles, but you can’t have it delivered to your door. Judge Robert O’Brien, of the Los Angeles County Superior Court ordered that Nestdrop cease taking orders for and delivering medicinal marijuana within the city limits. Nestdrop states that it will fight the injunction.

Nestdrop is an app which allows people to order alcohol for home delivery in the Los Angeles area and added medical marijuana to their service in 2014. Despite the injunction banning the advertisement for the home delivery of medical marijuana, their website continues to advertise this service.

The lawsuit was initiated by L.A. City Attorney Mike Feuer, who claims that the service violatesProposition D which defines how medical marijuana can legally be dispensed in the City of Los Angeles. Nestdrop owner and creator disagrees with the City Attorney’s position and the judge’s ruling. Nestdrop co-founder Michael Pycher said the company is “not a dispensary, collective, grower or even a delivery service.” He insists that “Nestdrop is the technology platform that connects law abiding medical marijuana patients with local dispensaries to receive the medication that they need in a safe and secure manner.”

As this disagreement plays out in the courts, where does that leave the users of medical marijuana? To date, the City Attorney is focused solely on Nestdrop and not those who use the app. Mr. Feuer’s argument hinges on whether Nestdrop is a dispensary which is trying to skirt the Proposition D requirements or a legitimate way to allow home delivery of medical marijuana. As long as this remains the basis of the City Attorney’s attention, users of the app are not at risk. However, with Mike Feuer’s intention to limit illegal medical marijuana dispensaries, it is impossible to know how far he will take his efforts to stop Nestdrop’s marijuana deliveries and other apps which may come onto the market.

If you are charged with a drug crime in the Los Angeles area, contact Lawrence Wolf for assistance with your case. With over 40 years’ experience as a criminal defense attorney, he can provide you with the council and expertise you need. Call the Law Offices of Lawrence Wolf today at [number type=”1″].

The Los Angeles City Council has agreed to place two marijuana-related initiatives on the ballot and has given preliminary approval to a third measure as well. According to a news report in The Huffington Post, the third initiative was created as a compromise between the other measures. The new proposal will allow the original 135 dispensaries in the Los Angeles area to remain open, as long as they are not too close to churches, schools, or residential neighborhoods. The third measure would also increase taxes on marijuana to $60 per $1,000 worth of marijuana sold.

Understanding the law regarding marijuana use and possession in Los Angeles can be extremely confusing. The laws have changed significantly over the past few years and they are subject to change again soon. Under California law, it is legal to possess marijuana for medical purposes. Under federal law, however, marijuana continues to be a controlled dangerous substance. As a reaction to federal involvement, the Los Angeles City Council reduced the number of dispensaries before abandoning that tactic and attempting to ban dispensaries altogether. The new ballot measures are meant to add some clarity.

It is a felony crime to grow marijuana in Los Angeles. Even if you only have one marijuana plant in your backyard, you could face severe penalties. If you have been arrested on suspicion of marijuana cultivation in Los Angeles, it is crucial that you discuss your case with a skilled defense attorney right away.

Under California Health & Safety Code 11358, all acts associated with growing or manufacturing marijuana are illegal. It is a felony to handle pot seeds, plant the seeds in soil, or to dry and process the marijuana once it is harvested. California’s prosecutors tend to assume that individuals growing a few plants intend to sell them. Therefore, individuals growing plants for recreational use may face possession with intent to sell charges as well.

A drug bust in Los Angeles culminated in the arrest of a 54-year-old Lawndale man and a 50-year-old Los Angeles man. According to The Acorn, the drug bust occurred at a residence on Oakfield Road in Hidden Hills. Officials executed a search warrant to seize 1,000 marijuana plants, 40 pounds of processed marijuana, and a semiautomatic handgun. The two men face multiple felony charges for transporting, selling, and cultivating marijuana.

In California, it is a felony punishable by up to three years in state prison and a $10,000 fine to grow just one marijuana plant. It is possible to have a cultivation charge reduced to simple marijuana possession if the amount of marijuana was clearly only for personal use. If, however, there is a large number of plants, or if the defendant intended to sell the drugs, the penalties can be severe.

A study released earlier this week shows that crime increased when hundreds of Los Angeles medical marijuana dispensaries were closed in 2010 after the implementation of a new ordinance, according to CBS News. Crime in the neighborhoods surrounding the dispensaries went up after they closed, contradictory to law enforcement claims that the operation of such clinics encouraged crime.

The research study was conducted by the objective nonprofit RAND Corporation, who reviewed crime reports from the 10 days before the medical marijuana clinics were closed and from 10 days after. The resulting analysis showed a 60 percent increase in crime within three blocks of a closed dispensary. If it is true that the dispensaries are causing crime, then there should have been a noticeable decline in crime once they were closed, which was not the case. Specific dispensaries may attract crime but there is no evidence that proves that, in general, the operation of medical marijuana clinics increases crime rates in the area.

The City Council had passed a new ordinance last summer, placing stricter guidelines on the dispensaries and causing many to shut their doors. Crime was one of the leading reasons for this new ordinance. In fact, two workers were killed during dispensary robberies in June 2010. Ultimately, however, the research analysis shows no concrete correlation between crime and medical marijuana dispensaries. It is more likely that crime rates drop around active clinics due to the security cameras and security guards.

Crime rates continuously fluctuate, but crime never disappears altogether. If you have been charged with a crime in Southern California, the most effective way to avoid a conviction is to retain the services of an aggressive Los Angeles criminal defense attorney. At The Law Offices of Lawrence Wolf, our experienced defense lawyers will protect your legal rights. Call us today for a consultation at [number type=”1″].

Proposition 19, the California ballot initiative that would legalize marijuana possession and sales in California, is falling behind in popularity in recent polls. Proposition 19 will be on the ballot in November.

According to the Los Angeles Times, a recent poll found that 48 percent of likely voters oppose the initiative, while 44 percent support it. A poll back in May found that likely voters leaned slightly towards supporting the initiative. The law would allow individuals over the age of 21 to possess, grow and transport marijuana, as well as allow counties and cities to tax and regulate marijuana.

Proponents of the initiative claim that it will raise tax revenue while giving the government the chance to regulate marijuana. Opponents argue that Proposition 19 will lead to additional crime and drug addiction. Even if California passes Proposition 19, federal drug laws will still apply to California.

If Proposition 19 passes, it will represent a huge change in the way California deals with marijuana possession. Over the last three decades, California has increased the resources it has devoted to arresting and imprisoning drug offenders. Beginning in the 1990’s, drug possessors became a primary target of law enforcement. Between 1990 and 2008,misdemeanor marijuana possession in California (possession of less than an ounce of marijuana) arrest rates increased by 127 percent, while arrests for virtually all other drug crimes and other serious crimes decreased.

If you have been charged with or are being investigated for a drug crime in California, you need an experienced, dedicated Los Angeles drug crime defense lawyer to advise you of your rights. The attorneys at the Law Offices of Lawrence Wolf have significant experience advising individuals who have been charged with California drug crimes. Call us today at [number type=”1″].