Well worth a read. Here’s the introduction
LOS ANGELES — When Andy Pang rented out a retail space in his Hacienda Heights strip mall, he thought his new tenant was opening a clothing store.
“We believe[d] him because he filled out the application form and after the credit check, everything [was] fine,” Pang said.
What You Need To Know
A Spectrum News investigation uncovered an apparent network of at least 20 unlicensed cannabis dispensaries operating across Southern California
Landlords said the prospective tenant would claim they’re opening a clothing store before opening a dispensary
Sometimes, the dispensaries stopped paying rent and refused to leave even after eviction proceedings started
Some of the dispensaries were allegedly opened by companies formed using stolen identities
“We talked to him, asked him to move away immediately because he breached the lease,” Pang said.
Pang, who is in his 70s and battling health issues, explained how when that didn’t work, he started eviction proceedings against the dispensary, which are still pending. Meanwhile, it remains open in a shopping center that includes a church, a nail salon and medical offices.
A Spectrum News investigation found that dispensary is linked to a vast network of other illegal stores. We reviewed dozens of eviction lawsuits and public business records that show the man who rented from Pang and companies linked to him have opened at least 20 unlicensed cannabis dispensaries throughout California since 2023 — and since many eviction cases are sealed, the true number is likely higher.
And while law enforcement and government lawyers will target individual dispensaries for enforcement, fewer resources go into unmasking the people operating them — especially when they hide behind multiple aliases and companies to run a large-scale operation.
For this investigation, Spectrum News reviewed aliases listed as officers for multiple companies that leased retail spaces for unlicensed dispensaries. We discovered at least one of those aliases is a stolen identity.
Spectrum News reviewed two identification cards featuring names used in lease applications on multiple dispensaries in our investigation.
The full story
