L.A. should suspend vetting applications for pot shops amid concerns, Wesson urges

Los Angeles City Council President Herb Wesson has called on the city to suspend the approval process for new shops selling cannabis products, arguing that the latest round of the licensing process was “compromised” by some people gaining early access to the application system.

In a letter to the Department of Cannabis Regulation, Wesson urged the department to stop processing applications for new marijuana retailers, refund the latest round of cannabis applicants, and get an independent audit of the process, “unless there are other options like processing every application” that would assure people that the process is untainted. Under the existing system, only a limited number of applications are slated to be reviewed, not every application that was submitted.

“These are the only options that will provide the clarity and time we need to ensure that the … process is fair, transparent, and has integrity,” Wesson wrote in his letter.

Department of Cannabis Regulation spokeswoman Michelle Garakian said the department “is committed to the most fair and transparent process possible” and would meet with Wesson’s office soon “to discuss their recommendations.”

So far, the city has granted approval to more than 300 existing cannabis businesses, including both retailers and their suppliers, according to the Department of Cannabis Regulation. [Read More @ The LA Times]