OVER A DOZEN CANNABIS STOREFRONTS RAIDED IN CA

Since January 2019, Chula Vista Police have raided and shut down over 1 dozen cannabis dispensaries for noncompliance.

6 people were arrested November 1st after police busted down the door of a dispensary operating at 259 Broadway after “multiple community complaints” according to reports. All 6 employees were taken into custody and charged with suspicion of possession of marijuana for sales, conspiracy to sell marijuana and operating a marijuana dispensary without a license, according to a police statement.

Police reports indicate that $15,000 in cash was taken from the establishment along with “5-10 million dollars worth of cannabis infused products”. 

On September 20th, police raided another dispensary on Park avenue in the same town of Chula Vista seizing the owners property and arresting the establishment employees. 

According to The City of Chula Vista government website “The Chula Vista City Council voted on March 6, 2018 to approve adoption of an ordinance permitting, licensing, and regulating cannabis businesses in the City of Chula Vista. The ordinance is conditioned on voter approval of a cannabis business tax measure anticipated to go before voters in November 2018.  “

No updates have been made in regards to the outcome of the vote but so far no licenses have been granted in Chula Vista. The penalty is laid out as follows: “Persons who facilitate or engage in unlawful commercial cannabis activity may be liable for civil penalties in an amount of up to $10,000 per day.  Additionally, the City’s municipal code now authorizes criminal prosecution of violations as misdemeanors. NOTE: Persons who have engaged in or facilitated unlawful cannabis activity will be prohibited from qualifying for cannabis business licenses in the City of Chula Vista.”

It is unclear whether or not the 12+ storefronts that have been shut down so far in 2019 had submitted requests for operational licensure or if the application process is even open however, with so many small businesses operating in the county it’s hard to imagine all of them were operating with intentional rebellion.