LA Social equity advocates stared at open council seats and seemingly disinterested faces during the public comment portion of City of Los Angeles’ Friday council session.
Gabe Guzmann (Latinos for Cannabis), Kristen Lovell (The Social Impact Center), Felicia Carbajal (Smart Pharm Research Group, The Social Impact Center), and Fanny Guzmann (Latinos for Cannabis) observing the chamber meeting.
All Photography by Davide Laffe (
Shared with permission from The Social Impact Center
EMPTY SEATS, a disengaged council after advocates waited three hours to be heard. All Photography by Davide Laffe (
After waiting hours to be heard, LA social equity advocates spoke abrupt, yet powerfully to a nearly empty council in the 60-seconds allowed to them. Notably, of the remaining council members present, many were visibly “distracted, reading, or speaking with the person next to them as citizens spoke at the podium” commented a citizen present.
Kristen Lovell, of The Social Impact Center, further expressed, “The lack of physical presence by LACC when it was finally time to submit public comment was unsettling, but not unexpected. It was disheartening to wait for three hours to be heard, knowing that the issue was already decided before we had a chance to speak. That’s just the way these things go, unfortunately”.
Advocates showed up to the public hearing over concerns for Council’s Rules Committee advancing recommendations from the Department of Cannabis Regulation (DCR), which includes a prospective timeline for Phase 3 licensing. However, LA social equity advocates say this recommendation comes before the long-promised social equity fund has been fully established.
Perhaps the vibrant disinterest during public comment was due to an earlier “YES” vote by all present councilmember’s to advance said recommendations hours before hearing comments.
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