Los Angeles looks to break up vast illegal pot sales

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Los Angeles is considering a major crackdown on illegal marijuana shops that have been bedeviling the city’s legal marketplace.

Mayor Eric Garcetti said Wednesday said he is considering adding “tens of millions” of dollars to the fight against the flourishing illicit market.

The mayor didn’t put a precise figure on the spending for the city’s upcoming budget but said it would go toward police overtime and enforcement operations in other city agencies.

He says legal shops “can’t get undercut every single day” by illicit sellers who typically have lower prices.

California kicked off broad legal sales in 2018, but Los Angeles has struggled to get control of its vast illegal marijuana economy.

LA is the largest U.S. city with a legal pot market.