LOS ANGELES (AP) — Prosecutors have brought the first criminal charges against 142 people as they aim to tamp down the growing illegal marijuana market in Los Angeles since the state legalized recreational use in January, officials said Wednesday.

The charges involve employees of 32 commercial cannabis companies and a business that delivers marijuana, said City Attorney Mike Feuer.

“The combination of significant amounts of cash and marijuana at these locations can make them dangerous,” Feuer said.

Recreational cannabis businesses must be licensed by both the city and state. So far, only 147 city licenses have been issued to sell adult-use, recreational cannabis in Los Angeles. Many illegal marijuana shops operate in plain sight — out of storefronts in busy neighborhoods.

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SANTA ANA, Calif., May 31, 2018 - PRESS RELEASE - Kush Bottles, Inc., a provider of packaging, supplies, vaporizers, hydrocarbon gases, solvents, accessories and branding solutions for the regulated cannabis industry, has announced it has signed a lease for a new warehouse facility in Las Vegas to meet demand from the consumer market as well as support the current and new businesses entering the industry or expanding operations.

With the 13,000-square-foot facility, expected to be operational mid-June, Kush Bottles expects to minimize the time taken to receive and distribute packaging and supplies, streamline its logistics and access more storage space for high-demand products with rapid turnover times, such as exit bags, cartridges and pre-roll tubes. By opening its first local distribution facility in Las Vegas, the company aims to become a stronger partner to some of the most advanced cannabis cultivation and retail facilities in the industry, which are located in Nevada. This warehouse will complement the existing Kush Bottles hazmat facility used today to service the Las Vegas and greater Nevada market with a variety of hydrocarbons, in which businesses use to turn cannabis plants into oils. 

“The new Las Vegas facility will further solidify Kush Bottles’ commitment to the city’s thriving, local cannabis community and strengthen our own mission to be the go-to partner for cannabis companies as they scale their operations,” said Kush Bottles CEO Nick Kovacevich. “The fluctuating demand from the tourism and organic growth in the cannabis market means that a lot of our partners are having a difficult time forecasting their packaging and supply needs. By having a local facility, we give our clients the added flexibility of faster delivery as well as offering on-site pick up if that’s what their business dictates.” 

As one of the busiest tourist destinations in the country, people from all over the world are being exposed to cannabis, sometimes for the very first time, through Las Vegas dispensaries. With consumer demand at an all-time high in Las Vegas, retailers in the state have already sold nearly $200 million in cannabis in the first six months after the legalization of its adult-use cannabis sales, fueled by both tourists and locals.

To be added to the distribution list, please email ir@kushbottles.com with “Kush” in the subject line.

BRISTOL — A local firm’s bid to secure state permission to grow cannabis and produce and distribute cannabidiol oil, or CBD, at the Bristol Mall must undergo a thorough review by the Virginia Board of Pharmacy.

Last Friday, a Bristol firm called Par Ventures Inc. announced plans to purchase the vacant Bristol Mall and lease space to Dharma Pharmaceuticals, another local firm that intends to apply for a state permit to grow cannabis plants and harvest the oil, under provisions of a 2018 state law. CBD isn’t considered a psychoactive drug, meaning users don’t get high because tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, levels are low.

The application deadline is 2 p.m. June 8.

Reader reaction to the Bristol Herald Courier’s exclusive story Saturday on the plans was generally positive, as the owners talked about creating hundreds of new jobs at the former mall, which closed last year but hemorrhaged tenants for the past three years.

Last month, the Virginia Department of Health Professions, through the pharmacy board, began accepting applications for pharmaceutical processors. The three-step review includes submission of the initial application, awarding of conditional approval and granting the permit, according to the agency’s website.

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SAIPAN – The Northern Mariana Islands' House Committee on Judiciary and Governmental Operations has approved a marijuana-legalization proposal and is recommending its passage.

The House panel conducted a public hearing Tuesday in the House chamber to discuss Senate Bill 20-62, which would regulate cannabis in the CNMI.

Seven people testified in support of the measure introduced by Sen. Sixto Igisomar. They included Dr. John Doyle, Gerry Hemley, Jim Rayphand and Katelyn Borja.

The committee chairman, Rep. Ivan Blanco, and members Reps. Frank Aguon, Joe Itibus and House Minority Leader Edmund Villagomez then voted to endorse the measure's passage.

Blanco said the bill now will go to the House for a vote.

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