With his motion in the upcoming vote before the Los Angeles City Council, Councilman Paul Koretz, is asking 100 marijuana dispensaries be left open because closing them all, in his words, “would be heartless.” In 1999, during his tenure on the West Hollywood City Council, Councilman Koretz took great pride in taking down the sign of the Marlboro Man on Sunset Boulevard, saying the sign “personifies the glamorizing of a deadly habit”, (Los Angeles Times, 1999). As the second largest city in the United States, Los Angeles should join the more than 200 cities who have implemented bans on unsightly pot shops and stop this potentially sickening, deadly habit! It is a well-documented fact that the majority of marijuana abusers smoke the intoxicating substance and that Los Angeles has plenty of them.
In 2010, the Los Angeles Times reported on a study released by the Society of Addiction Medicine, citing that marijuana smoke, over time, causes pre-cancerous conditions in the lungs and esophagus, similar to cigarette smoke. In 2010, marijuana smoke was also included as a Proposition 65 health hazard to cause cancer.
Los Angeles City Council Members should take the responsible approach and support Councilman Jose Huizar’s motion, banning all storefront dispensaries in the City of Los Angeles and Councilman Parks and Councilwoman Perry’s motion, phasing out the existing L.A. ordinance. The council should dismiss the Koretz motion, as it promotes smoking, drug abuse, crime and sends the wrong message to our youth.
