The coronavirus pandemic has disrupted cannabis enforcement initiatives in Los Angeles and caused critical budget shortfalls that could further hinder efforts to crack down on unlicensed marijuana operators.
That one-two punch could present a major obstacle to the success of L.A.’s legal market.
Reducing the number of illicit cannabis sellers and growers in Los Angeles has long been a top priority for licensed businesses, which say they cannot compete on pricing since legal recreational sales took effect in January 2018.
Part of the problem: A push to enforce a new ordinance targeting landlords and property owners of unlicensed cannabis shops has been on hold since March. That’s when many city services and offices were shuttered to mitigate the proliferation of COVID-19 cases in Los Angeles County.
But there is hope the situation could turn around sooner than later and the so-called padlock ordinance can be enforced.
“Hopefully by end of June or July, we’ll have that available,” said Vito Ceccia, a detective in the L.A. Police Department’s Gang and Narcotics Division Cannabis Support Unit.