Council committee votes to ban marijuana dispensaries

The proposed ordinance would allow folks to cultivate pot for medicinal use (they would still need a prescription). Also, residential care facilities and hospices could continue to use the stuff for medicinal purposes. But all the clinics in L.A. would be out - at least until there's more clarity from the courts. Now, the measure goes to the full council. From KPCC:

"It's about the many who have spoiled it for the few," said Councilman Mitch Englander, chair of the Public Safety Committee. Clinics have bred crime, including assault, burglary, identity theft, drug possession and murder, Englander said. The Los Angeles Police Department estimates there are 700 to 800 clinics in the city. Patients and caregivers who say medical marijuana is a right granted by Proposition 215, which California voters approved in 1996, do not support the ban. The legal liaison for the Greater Los Angeles Collective Alliance urged committee members to approve an alternate plan from Councilman Paul Koretz that would allow a limited number of clinics to remain in operation.