Los Angeles to reset troubled marijuana licensing program

(AP) — Los Angeles is trying to repair its troubled marijuana licensing program. The goal is to enlist more operators who endured the consequences of the nation’s war on drugs.

Broad legal cannabis sales kicked off in 2018, but City Hall was widely criticized for the launch of programs intended to assist those working in the business who were arrested or imprisoned when marijuana was criminalized, including many people of color.

The City Council voted Wednesday to make a series of changes intended to get more licenses to those so-called social-equity applicants. Still, some critics say the rules remain too loose and open to abuses.