Riverside County's Battle Against Now-Legal Pot

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA -- Riverside County has taken a tough stance against now-legal marijuana. The Desert Sun reported that the county has shut down nearly 60 dispensaries in the last few years, and it can continue doing so even after California voters approved to legalize the substance.

"Riverside County says it has shut down 59 dispensaries since 2013 in unincorporated areas, meaning the sections of the county that are not governed by a local municipality. The county says there are 23 ongoing cases against dispensaries now," the Desert Sun reported. "State law leaves the question of where marijuana businesses may operate largely up to local control. That's why cities within Riverside County, like Palm Springs, can allow dispensaries, even though the county does not permit them on its unincorporated land."

In its efforts to shut down dispensaries, the county filed lawsuits against the owners, the newspaper reported.

"In a review of over a dozen of these lawsuits between 2015 and 2017, The Desert Sun found that most dispensaries sued by the county ultimately close," the Desert Sun wrote.

Still, more than 400 businesses have received temporary licenses to legally sell recreational marijuana. Some of the businesses are in incorporated cities in Riverside County.

--Photo via Pixabay/Herbalhemp

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400-Plus CA Marijuana Businesses Receive Temporary Licenses