Last night we told you about medical marijuana advocates in Los Angeles being ready to turn in some 50,000 signatures to get a measure on the ballot to overturn the recent citywide dispensary ban approved by the city council. Soon advocates will be holding a press conference to accompany the submitting of the signatures.

The advocacy group Americans for Safe Access just released a media advisory on the press conference and the signatures gathered, which reads in part:

Los Angeles, CA – With plenty of time to spare, medical marijuana advocates filed more than 50,000 signatures today in an effort to overturn a recently passed ban on dispensaries throughout the city. Despite a loud outcry from patient advocates, the Los Angeles City Council adopted an outright ban last month on medical marijuana distribution within the city limits. The ban came after the city failed over a more than 4-year period to develop regulations suitable for providing medical marijuana to the tens of thousands of area patients.

What: Coalition press conference on filing referendum signatures to overturn Los Angeles dispensary ban
When: Wednesday, August 29th at 12 Noon
Where: Room Terrace D at the Sheraton Universal Hotel, 333 Universal Hollywood Drive, Universal City, CA 91608

“Very soon, the city will be faced with having to rescind its ordinance or putting the decision before Los Angeles voters,” said Don Duncan, California Director with Americans for Safe Access, the country’s largest medical marijuana advocacy group. “Because of the ban’s questionable future, the city ought to reconsider its tough stance on enforcing the ban.” The council recently voted to collaborate with federal agents and to fund an unprecedented enforcement effort aimed at shutting down hundreds of legally compliant facilities in the city.

After the dispensary ban was passed by the Los Angeles City Council on July 24th, a group calling itself the Committee to Protect Patients and Neighborhoods with the help of PCI Consulting began gathering signatures to overturn it. The city now has up to 30 days to either rescind the ban or call a special election and put the decision to Los Angeles voters early next year. Depending on timing, the city may be forced to hold a separate election in addition to the March primary and May mayoral election.

Will the L.A. City Council finally back down and work with advocates to come up with a reasonable set of regulations for dispensaries in the city? Or are they so confident in their actions that they are willing to put the issue before the voters?

- Joe Klare

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