CHULA VISTA (NEWS 8) – Chula Vista residents on Thursday sounded off about illegal pot shops in their community during a Southwest Chula Vista Civic Association Forum on illegal pot shops.
Richard Roy is a Chula Vista resident and he is fed up with illegal marijuana dispensaries. He said he has driven by what suspects is an illegal pot shop on Broadway and Arizona.
“It’s the wild wild west. It says free joint and the school bus right there. That is ridiculous. It’s anarchy on the streets,” he said.
Last fall, Chula Vista voters approved to tax legal marijuana and approved two legal dispensaries per district for a total of eight city wide. Residents it is the illegal dispensaries that are frustrating.
“These places are illegal – bottom line illegal,” said Richard.
During the forum, District 4 council member Mike Diaz and city attorney, Glen Googins, addressed the concerns by announcing that special prosecutor has been funded to go after illegal, unlicensed marijuana pot shops.
“The more pressure we are able to put on the illegal operations from as many directions as possible – that is what led to their closures,” said Googins.
According to Googins, since 2015, 51 illegal dispensaries have been shut down. Seven of the current illegal shops are in District 4, but code enforcement, abatement warrants and a $10,000 shut them down, however, they keep coming back.
“Maybe 30-percent have popped back up someplace else,” said Chula Vista Deputy City Attorney, Megan McClurg.
“It is insulting – it truly is insulting. It is the black market in the City of Chula Vista,” said Richard.
The Chula Vista attorney said it will be about six to nine months until a licensed marijuana dispensary can open.
So far, the city has received 130 applications.
To learn more about who has applied click here.
For more information about Chula Vista's licenses marijuana laws click here, and to learn more about Chula Vista's commercial cannabis, click here.