By Henri Migala

August 12, 2022 (La Mesa) -- The La Mesa City Council voted Tuesday to approve a Conditional Use Permit and allow Urbn Leaf to build a cannabis (marijuana) dispensary at 7901 Hillside Drive. The Council unanimously voted 5-0 to repeal its earlier approval of an appeal that had blocked the project, after applicant Urbn Leaf filed a legal challenge.

East County News Service

August 22, 2019 (Spring Valley) – As a direct result of numerous complaints from concerned citizens, three illegal marijuana dispensaries in Spring Valley and Casa de Oro were searched and shut down by law enforcement and one arrest was made.

By Miriam Raftery

June 21, 2018 (Spring Valley) – The Gas House 64 marijuana dispensary at 8818 Troy Street is the latest of many illegal pot shops to be shut down in Spring Valley.

Although marijuana use is legal in California, new marijuana dispensaries are illegal in the unincorporated parts of San Diego County.  Rancho San Diego Sheriff’s deputies served an abatement notice on the dispensary’s owners yesterday morning for violating a zoning ordinance.  Large amounts of marijuana, marijuana edibles, paraphernalia and other items were seized, though no arrests were made.

By Jonathan Goetz

Photo: Angeles Nelson (left) opposed the dispensary in Lemon Grove, while Kathleen Harmon (right) supported it

April 4, 2018 (San Diego’s East County) -- La Mesa will have its first legal medical marijuana dispensary, after a unanimous vote of approval by the City Council on March 27. An appeal challenging the approval was rejected.

By contrast, the Lemon Grove City Council voted to deny an application for a dispensary due to proximity to a daycare center.  No dispensaries have yet opened in Lemon Grove though at least two have met zoning requirements and are now advancing through the conditional use permit process.

 

Both Councils took the actions recommended by staff in implementing laws established by voter-approved initiatives. At issue in each is the date of completion.

By Jonathan Goetz

March 7, 2017 (La Mesa) - At its February 28 meeting, the La Mesa City Council spent over an hour learning about and discussing cannabis legislation, following a lengthy introduction by City Attorney Glenn Sabine who consulted a conditional Use Permit (CUP) process and cannabis taxing consultant.

“By rejecting the Attorney General’s argument that patients who utilize dispensaries must collaborate…to cultivate the marijuana they purchase, the court is establishing a clear standard for dispensaries across the state.” –Joe Elford, Chief Counsel, Americans for Safe Access

By Nadin Abbott

October 26, 2012 (San Diego)—On Wednesday, the Fourth District Court of Appeal for California issued a unanimous ruling overturning the conviction of Jovan Jackson, the operator of Answerdam, a medical marijuana dispensary in Kearny Mesa. 

The decision is being hailed by medical marijuana advocates as a landmark decision that could have far-reaching impacts for medical marijuana patients and dispensaries.