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Spate of robberies at L.A. dispensaries
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The L.A.P.D. is investigating two separate armed robberies that targeted medical marijuana dispensaries in Los Angeles county.
Late Thursday night, four men- each armed with a handgun- hit an as-yet unnamed dispensary in West Los Angeles. The men escaped with $15, 000 in cold hard cash, as well as an unspecified amount of 'product'.
Thankfully, no-one was hurt in the incident... but when it comes to sticking-up medical marijuana dispensaries, this is not always the case. Consider the unfortunate tale of Noe Campos Gonzalez, a dispensary security guard who was gunned down in cold blood outside the La Brea Collective in October 2008.
In addition to the West L.A. robbery, police are also investigating a similar incident that took place in Reseda on Wednesday night. There is a possibility of a link between both cases, suggesting a level of organization that could result in further hits down the line.
So just how dangerous is it to run a 'pot store'?
I've spoken with many dispensary owners and operators in my time, and believe me, this is not a business for the faint-of-heart. Any industry that deals with a substance considered highly illegal in most parts of the world is bound to attract a bad crowd.
It's not uncommon for dispensaries to hire one or more armed security guards on a full-time basis. Some of the dispensaries I've frequented have taken it one step further, installing metal detectors, complex security camera networks and 'mantraps' (bottle-neck corridors with a number of locked doors, which can be opened remotely).
It's true, stoners can tend to be a little paranoid at times... but with armed gunmen knockin' down the door, can you really blame them?
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