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DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — A proposed ordinance governing the location and operation of medical marijuana dispensaries in the City of Los
Angeles was again put on hold this week, as Council wrestled to find a
balance between access and control. A requirement that dispensaries be
1,000 feet away from residential uses proved contentious on Wednesday,
with Councilmembers split.

That got blogdowntown wondering, just what does a 1,000 foot buffer
around residential projects look like?

The maps above show 1,000, 500 and 200 foot buffers around residential
uses Downtown. They are not an exact visualization of where dispensaries
could be located -- they don't include buffers around substance abuse
center and may not include all residential hotels -- but they're more
than the City Council has to work with.

The City's planning department is working on creating maps of the
ordinance's effects, but they won't be ready until January.

There are currently an estimated 800 to 1,000 dispensaries operating
around the City, most of which came into being after the City passed a
2007 ordinance forbidding new outlets until permanent rules could be
developed.

http://blogdowntown.com/2009/12/4927-visualizing-the-debate-over-marijua
na-dispensary