City Closing In On Final Illegal Marijuana Dispensary

The final illegal marijuana dispensary in Pasadena is one step closer to being shut down.

On Thursday, Commissioner William Dodson sided with a landlord attempting to evict the owners of Kush 20 House on Walnut Street.

“Commissioner Dodson agreed with the plaintiff’s attorney and ruled against the tenant in their ex parte motion,” said Code Commissioner Jon Pollard. “The plaintiff’s attorney has not yet received the commissioner’s written order, so he doesn’t know the basis for the denial, which might give some indication of the tenant’s lawyer’s next move. The plaintiff’s attorney will have more information when he receives the court’s order.”

An ex parte motion is usually an emergency request. In this case, the owners of the dispensary were attempting to set aside a default judgment and quash the writ of possession issued to the property owner, a document issued by the court after the landlord wins an unlawful detainer, or eviction, lawsuit.

In a 2-1 decision in December, Pasadena’s Code Enforcement Commission formally ordered the closure of Kush 20 House.

The decision was unsuccessfully appealed and the city is taking action against the dispensary owner.

On Feb. 6, city officials announced they had closed 23 illegal cannabis dispensary permanently since August 2018.

“The City of Pasadena has moved aggressively to close illegal cannabis dispensaries which have located wherever they wish, in violation of the law and in proximity to residential neighborhoods, schools, and places of worship,” said Public Information Officer Lisa Derderian at that time.

Dispensary owner Walnut Circle LLC was ordered to cease Kush 20’s operations at the address within ten calendar days by the Code Enforcement Commission.