Killings at Los Angeles marijuana dispensaries believed unrelated

The slayings at separate Los Angeles marijuana dispensaries on Thursday appear unrelated, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Our Los Angeles marijuana dispensary lawyers are concerned that the high-profile attack on these businesses by the City of Los Angeles could lead to continued problems. We continue to offer aggressive legal representation of dispensaries throughout the Los Angeles area and take these tragic killings as another unwelcome sign of legal businesses that are under siege, in part because of the Los Angeles ordinance aimed at forcing them out of business.

Unnamed sources within the police department told the Times that significant differences in the two crimes have led investigators to believe that they are not related. The first incident occurred at 4:15 p.m. on Sunset Boulevard in Echo Park at Higher Path Holistic Care. Four suspects reportedly entered the facility, forced several employees to lay down, and ransacked the business in search of drugs and money. Despite the fact that employees did not resist, the suspects shot them. One employee was killed and the other critically injured. About five hours later and a few miles away, the owner of the Hollywood Holistic II dispensary in the 1600 block of North El Centro Avenue walked into the store and found the body of an employee. The employee was stabbed but no drugs or money appear to have been taken during the second attack.

Detectives speculate the killer may have intended to rob the store but fled instead. Or the killing may have occurred for some unknown or unrelated reason.

The attacks at the dispensaries concern operators and patient advocates, who worry that the dispensaries may be targeted by violent gangs. Yamileth Bolanos, president of the Greater Los Angeles Collectives Alliance, criticized a provision in the city’s new marijuana ordinance that requires dispensaries to have security guards who are not armed.

Los Angeles County District Attorney Steve Cooley blamed the crimes on the known presence of guns and cash at the businesses.

The CANNABIS LAW GROUP is a law firm dedicated to the rights of medical marijuana patients, collectives and growers and has built a reputation for high-powered, aggressive legal representation of the medical marijuana industry in Southern California. Call 949-375-4734 for a confidential consultation to discuss your rights.