Printer-friendly version
By Miriam Raftery
January 23, 2019 (Spring Valley) — Cookiez Collective, a marijuana dispensary operating illegally at 2913 Sweetwater Road in Spring Valley, was shut down today by county authorities.
Rancho San Diego Sheriff’s detectives and crime suppression team members assisted County Code Compliance in serving an abatement warrant. According to Sergeant Matt Cook II, “the abatement warrant was the direct result of numerous complaints from concerned citizens” as well as violating of the county’s zoning ordinance.
Deputies seized large amounts of marijuana, marijuana edibles, marijuana paraphernalia, cash and items used in sale of marijuana. Four employees were cited and released for possession and sale of marijuana. County Code Compliance boarded up all entry doors at the location.
Although California voters have legalized marijuana use by adults, laws governing sales have been left up to each city or county.
Marijuana dispensaries are illegal in all unincorporated areas of San Diego County, with the exceptions of two dispensaries in Ramona and unincorporated El Cajon that were grandfathered in and may remain open for five years. Some cities, such as La Mesa and Lemon Grove, allow legal sales of medical marijuana only, while others such as the city of San Diego allow recreational marijuana sales at licensed dispensaries.
County departments are addressing illegal marijuana dispensaries in unincorporated communities by enforcing building code requirements involving illegal or improper occupancy in conjunction with the administrative abatement process. The County has begun serving illegal dispensaries with 10-day notices, ordering property owners to remove tenants involved in the illegal sales of marijuana.
If the tenant is not removed and enforcement action is taken, the County will continue abatement proceedings and secure the property to ensure the building remains safe. Any person found inside the property after the County secures the building is subject to be arrested.
“Rancho San Diego Sheriff's Captain M. Marco Garmo in partnership with our community is dedicated to the continued enforcement and elimination of all illegal marijuana dispensaries,” a press release issued by the Sheriff’s department states.
Comments
It would seem...