Black market cannabis shops thrive in L.A. even as city cracks down

After recreational sales became legal in January 2018, obtaining funding and resources for enforcement has become a tougher sell within the LAPD, said Det. Lou Turriaga, a director with the Los Angeles Police Protective League. Until recently, Turriaga said, the department’s cannabis support unit was operating on a “bare-bones budget.” Local narcotics investigators are unlikely to prioritize enforcement against illicit dispensaries over other kinds of drug crime or violence in their divisions, he said.