Marijuana Delivery Businesses in CA Could Be at Risk Until Recreational Marijuana is Legal

There has been a lot of chaos in California ever since they first set up regulations for the state’s medical marijuana program for the first time in twenty years. They’ve had businesses shutting down due to a mistake that was not supposed to make it to the final draft of the bill, they’ve been working to come up with state and local licensing programs – and now delivery services may be compromised.

For years now marijuana delivery services have become more and more prevalent – especially in California where getting around can be difficult for many patients (and especially with shops closing their doors lately). We’ve seen companies go so far as talking about drone deliveries – it really is a booming business.

Unfortunately, after all these years of success and growing their businesses, marijuana delivery services could be at risk in the state of California – or at least in L.A. for now. Last Friday city attorney Mike Feuer announced a lawsuit against Speed Weed – a marijuana delivery company with a whopping 25,000 customers across Los Angeles and Orange counties

“Marijuana delivery services circumvent the will of the voters who passed Proposition D,” Feuer said in the announcement, referring to a local zoning law that limits dispensaries. “My office will continue to ensure that only qualified patients, and primary caregivers, can transport medical marijuana.”

By the sounds of it, Speed Weed will not be the only company at risk – they’re just going after the “big dog” first to set an example for the rest. The lawsuit, if the city wins, would implement an injunction that would immediately stop all business by Speed Weed and would prevent them from doing further business in the city. It would also impose civil penalties of up to $5,000 per day.

From the sounds of it, they want things to be set up to where only patients and caregivers can transport the plant – and that simply is not always possible in every situation. What if a sick individual cannot get to a dispensary due to location and they have no family and cannot afford a caregiver?

Not everyone agrees with the approach of just shutting down all deliveries. Don Duncan, the California director of Americans for Safe Access believes there must be a better way (finally, someone talking some sense!).

“I’m surprised at how much energy the Los Angeles city attorney’s office seems to be spending on enforcing medical marijuana laws but how little they seem to want to improve the situation,” he said. “Instead of enforcement, we need a better law for Los Angeles.”

I have to say, he has a point. Hopefully there can be a happy middle ground before Speed Weed is out of business. However, if that does not happen, then delivery services may be an off-limits kind of thing until recreational marijuana is legal.