Lake County officials have given nine medical marijuana dispensaries in the unincorporated county until Dec. 6 to shut down or face enforcement proceedings.
The crackdown was triggered by a pro-marijuana referendum effort that backfired.
That successful September referendum forced supervisors to rescind an ordinance that would have allowed five dispensaries in unincorporated Lake County. Referendum proponents contended that was too few.
But without an ordinance, pot dispensaries are not allowed at all under Lake County zoning regulations. The time given existing dispensaries to operate temporarily has expired.
"That automatically makes them out of compliance," said Supervisor Rob Brown.
"It's unfortunate," said Community Development Department Director Rick Coel. "There were a couple of what I'd say were real legitimate operations out there. We were getting ready to take their applications."
"We're so disappointed," said Greg King, a board member of the Visions of Avatar dispensary outside of Lakeport. He said he did not support the referendum, in part because he knew it had potentially negative repercussions.
Organizers failed to offer an alternative to the county's ordinance, which would have averted the current dilemma.
The referendum was managed by Chico resident Weston Mickey, a member of the Southern California-based California Cannabis Coalition.
He said Friday an initiative to allow dispensaries in Lake County is in the works, but likely won't be circulated for signatures until January and wouldn't appear on a ballot until later in the year.
"We do have an alternative. It just takes time," Mickey said.
Meanwhile, the dispensaries in the unincorporated county are preparing to close while still hoping the county will grant a reprieve.
Without the dispensaries, medical marijuana patients could be forced to seek their medicine on the streets, King said.
"There will not be safe access," he said.
Clearlake continues to allow dispensaries, and the city has two to three.
The dispensaries under county jurisdiction will be given an opportunity to argue their cases before enforcement actions begin, officials said.
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