Crime & Safety

Feds Send Warning Letters to 3 Marijuana Shops in Artesia

The letters are part of ongoing federal enforcement actions against the commercial marijuana industry in California.

Federal authorities on Tuesday mailed warning letters to property owners and operators of 34 illegal marijuana stores located throughout Los Angeles County, including three locations in Artesia.

The storefronts in Artesia include:

  • Alternative Wellness Collective, 17203 Flallon Avenue
  • California Alternative Medicine, 17022 Roseton Avenue
  • Gee-Tyme (no address provided)

The letters, which were sent to stores that are either currently operating or were recently closed, give the operators and landlords 14 days to come into compliance with federal law or risk potential civil or criminal actions.

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Letters were also mailed to marijuana stores in Santa Fe Springs, Whittier, South El Monte, La Mirada, Diamond Bar, Paramount, South Gate, City of Commerce, Agoura Hills and Malibu, according to Thom Mrozek, Public Affairs Officer with the United States Attorney's Office. 

The warnings were issued in conjunction with the filing of two asset forfeiture lawsuits against properties housing three marijuana stores in Santa Fe Springs.

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According to the lawsuits, “Under federal law, the distribution of marijuana (a Schedule I controlled substance under Title 21) is prohibited except under very limited circumstances not applicable here. The government is informed and believes that at all times relevant to this complaint, the operation of the marijuana stores on the defendant property was not (and is not) permitted under California law.”

Federal authorities have now targeted more than 220 marijuana stores and grows in the Central District of California. The majority of those stores. which are now closed, are the subject of eviction proceedings by landlords, or have been the subject of additional federal enforcement actions such as search warrants, according to Mrozek.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office is working in conjunction with the Drug Enforcement Administration and IRS - Criminal Investigation. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department provided substantial assistance to this week's federal enforcement efforts.


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