Cannabis Illegal

Illegal Cannabis Enforcement Unit

The Los Angeles City Fire Department’s Fire Prevention Bureau, Illegal Cannabis Enforcement Unit works with Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety (LADBS), and Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (DWP) in serving warrants on non-permitted illegal cannabis operations. During these inspections, numerous Fire / Life Safety Violations are observed and photographed. 

Properties that have illegal cannabis operations are usually heavily fortified and have egregious fire and life safety violations. Illegal cannabis dispensaries, cultivation operations, and extraction labs create a clear and present danger to the occupants of the building and fire department personnel should they need to respond to an emergency incident. Because of these violations, a criminal case will be created by the LAFD Fire Prevention Bureau Illegal Cannabis Enforcement Unit against the property owner / owners and submitted to the Los Angeles City Attorney's Office.

The property owner / owners will receive an F-340 Notice of Violation and have a F-339 sign posted on the building which states, “Close to entry by order of the Los Angeles City Fire Department”. The property owner may enter the property to clear all violations Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM. The Property owner shall fix all violations listed in the F-340 Notice of Violation. All non-permitted construction and non-permitted electrical wiring shall be removed. In many cases the property owner may need the assistance of a licensed contractor to restore the property back to original building code standards. Property owners can refer to the legal cannabis flow chart and LAFD fire code pre-inspection checklist for information for current and potential tenants. 

The City Attorney's Office will contact the property owner / owners regarding their case.  ****Do not contact the inspectors from the Illegal Cannabis Enforcement Unit for a re-inspection. All requests for a fire department re-inspection must go through the city attorney that is assigned to your case**** 

Other Resources
Los Angels Police Department
Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office, Code Enforcement
Los Angeles Department of Cannabis Regulations
Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety
Los Angeles Department of Water and Power