Deputies Shut Down Last Illegal Pasadena Marijuana Dispensary

The final illegal cannabis dispensary in Pasadena was forced to close on Thursday morning.

“This morning Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputies evicted employees of the illegal cannabis dispensary known as Kush 20 House at 1644 E. Walnut Street and returned lawful occupancy to the property owner,” said Code Commissioner Jon Pollard. “A locksmith was on site to remove the ex-tenant’s locks and install new locks for the property owner.”

The operators of Kush 20 House lost a court battle last week after a judge ruled against an ex parte motion that would have stopped the eviction.
The city has fought to close illegal dispensaries for several years.

“As of this morning Kush 20 House Dispensary is now closed,” said Lisa Derderian. “This was the last illegally operating dispensary that was still in operation. Over the last 17 months, the City’s Marijuana Suppression Detail has now successfully shut down all of the original 19 dispensaries along with 5 other dispensaries that opened up during the last 17 months. The Detail has also closed down a grow facility during that time period as well. There are now no illegally operating dispensaries in the City of Pasadena. This represents an incredibly successful collaboration of a number of City departments and an incredible result for 17 months of work. Code Compliance and The Pasadena Police Department should also be commended for their tireless work on this.”

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

In 2018, voters passed Measure CC, the city’s highly regulated process which allows only six pot dispensaries — and only one in each of the city’s seven council districts — to operate legally in Pasadena.

The measure also requires dispensaries to maintain strict distance limits from schools, libraries, churches and residential neighborhoods. Nearly 200 businesses applied to do business in Pasadena.

In June, The Atrium Group, Harvest of Pasadena, Integral Associates Dena, Tony Fong, Sweetwater Pasadena and MME Pasadena Retail were picked from among 122 applicants vying for permission to sell marijuana in the city.

So far only Harvey and Integral have received conditional use permits.

After Measure CC passed, the City Council banned so-called “nuisance,” or non-permitted dispensaries from applying for business licenses under the city’s cannabis law.

“City staff will remain watchful for the presence of any other illegal cannabis dispensaries that may attempt to establish a presence in the city and take enforcement action as necessary,” Pollard said. “The employees of Kush 20 House have been removed from the premises at 1644 E. Walnut, and there is no further cannabis activity being conducted at the location.”