On 4/20, Compton officials announce shutdown of 9 illegal marijuana dispensaries in the city

COMPTON, Calif. (KABC) -- At least nine illegal dispensaries have been shut down in Compton and dozens of lawsuits have been filed as officials continue to push their efforts to stop illegal drug-related activity across the city.

City and county officials held a press conference on Thursday - the same day as the unofficial cannabis holiday 4/20 - and announced more than 30 lawsuits against operators of unlicensed marijuana operations, their landlords, and banks and lenders who provided financial support to the illegal businesses.

"No dispensaries are legal in the city of Compton," said Councilmember Andre Spicer. "Voters voted against dispensaries in Compton in general, so there is no way to get a legal dispensary in Compton."

Officials said there could be close to 100 illegal marijuana dispensaries operating in the city and said they plan to shut them all down.

In 2018, voters said no to two measures to bring regulated marijuana to the city. Measure I, which would have collected a 5% business tax and allowed indoor cultivation, was rejected by a 75% margin. Voters also rejected Measure C by 76%, which was put forth by city council at the time, would have required a 10% tax and capped the number of dispensaries at 10.

READ MORE | Compton voters reject permits for pot shops

"Compton doesn't have the infrastructure to have legal marijuana dispensaries," said Spicer.

Compton's Illegal Dispensaries Task Force, which has been in operation for six months, helped put two city properties under receivership, which essentially takes away control of the properties from the landlord, the city announced.

In addition, the city has submitted a request to collect more than $22 million in penalties and fees from one unlicensed operator and its landlord.

If granted, it would be one of the largest judgments issued against an unlicensed marijuana operator in Los Angeles County history.

Compton officials said the city is also not prepared to deal with the amount of crime that comes with allowing marijuana dispensaries to operate legally.

"It's a huge safety issue," said Spicer. "We have plenty of reports of robberies, murders, fights, all happening at these dispensaries and obviously, since they are illegal, they are not paying taxes to the city and it's just been a nuisance in our community. They're cash-ran businesses, a lot of times, they're in impoverished neighborhoods and they're a target for violence."

The task force is a joint effort between multiple city agencies including the city attorney's office and the sheriff's department serving warrants and shutting down illegal dispensaries.