Over 500 Medical Marijuana Shops Shuttered in Los Angeles

Most estimate it's only a matter of time before California opts for full decriminalization of weed. Until then, Los Angeles Proposition D still stands, limiting the number of medical marijuana dispensaries to the number present in 2007: approximately 140. In accordance with the law, over 500 shops have closed throughout the city. 

A set of stringent rules governs dispensaries: "The requirements include things like being registered under past city ordinances and maintaining a certain distance between your dispensary and public parks and schools."

City medical marijuana policy remains a fraught issue, with some arguing that enforcement of a half-measure isn't worth the trouble. Until California moves to legalize (or fully prohibit) weed sales, "city officials have no official way to know how many dispensaries are still operating, making the crackdown [...] a murky game of whack-a-mole."