No Marijuana Farmers Market in Boyle Heights, According to Court Ruling

A judge in Boyle heights has made a ruling solidifies that there will be no marijuana farmers market in the area, at least for now.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Joanne O’Donnell granted a temporary restraining order to essentially block the farmers market after city attorneys objected to the event, stating that it falls outside the parameters of a voter-approved measure.

According to City Attorney Mike Feuer, the entire marijuana market operation violates Proposition D, as it limits the number of legal dispensaries allowed in the city.

He also stated that the cannabis farmers market is an unauthorized use of Esperanza Street, and that the large crowds block traffic, cause safety hazards and create a public nuisance.

She also ruled that it is an unauthorized use of the property.

In the ruling, Judge O'Donnell stated that she felt the patients of the dispensary would not suffer “irreparable harm” by her ruling.

The California Heritage Market, operated by the West Coast Collective, was first opened for business over the Fourth of July weekend, and it attracted thousands of customers, many of whom waited in line for hours to shop at the market.

The market was considered wildly successful over opening weekend, but for Boyle Heights, it will take more than just success with the public to get things rolling on the cannabis forefront.

O’Donnell also stated that the scope of the order sought by the city was too broad, and the temporary restraining order is only shutting down the West Coast Collective’s “farmers market,” at least for now.

Judge O'Donnell also scheduled a hearing for Aug. 6 on whether a preliminary injunction should be issued against the dispensary.

David Welch, attorney for West Coast Collective, said the farmers market allows patients to meet the cultivators directly and avoid middlemen.

“That is the essence of the law about how a collective is supposed to work,” he said.