The City Attorney's Office announced Thursday that four marijuana dispensaries operating illegally in San Diego were shut down this week.
Court orders were obtained Monday and Tuesday to close Planet Greens on Garnet Avenue in Pacific Beach; Dank on Turquoise on Turquoise Street in Pacific Beach; Kindest Meds on Camino del Rio South in Mission Valley; and Market Greens on Market Street in Mount Hope.
All four dispensaries, which ran afoul of zoning regulations, had ceased operations by Wednesday, according to the City Attorney's Office.
"This enforcement of city zoning regulations is necessary to protect neighborhood standards and safety," City Attorney Jan Goldsmith said. "Marijuana dispensaries, like any other business, must obtain proper permits and conform to zoning regulations."
The City Council earlier this year adopted a permitting process that allows such shops to open legally, and the first permit was approved recently for a facility to open near Brown Field.
However, numerous marijuana dispensaries are still operating illegally, according to city officials and residents who live near the shops.
The City Attorney's Office said around 45 cases are pending against dispensary operators, and two-thirds have gone ahead and closed down.
"We believe there are other dispensaries operating illegally in San Diego beyond those that have been referred to us for prosecution," Goldsmith said. "When cases on those other dispensaries are investigated and brought to us by the San Diego Police Department or Code Enforcement Division, we will close them down and obtain monetary sanctions."
More than 200 dispensaries operating illegally in San Diego have been shuttered over the last four years, according to the City Attorney's Office.
The city's Code Enforcement Division takes complaints about medical marijuana dispensaries at (619) 236-5500.
