[420 Girl]

A legal showdown continues between the owner of a medical marijuana dispensary and a valley city looking to keep them away.

For the past 70 days, owner Stacy Hochanadel has been hard at work inside a non-descript office building on Industrial Way in Palm Springs.

Depending on who one listens to, this is either a medical office providing needed care or an illegal business the city needs to shut down.

With a cluttered workbench, it's not much to look at now, but Hochanadel is hard at work on the lobby of the new Cannahelp.

His old medical marijuana dispensary was shut down last year after a police raid.

Hundreds of patients say they depend on the marijuana distributors to ease their pain and health problems. Federal law disagrees.

"It's taken quite a bit of time and quite a bit of my hours," said Hochanadel "Blood and sweat of my hands. We've got this place put together in the past 70 days. We're hoping the city's going to be willing to work with us and put the license together and get some type of ordinance and code put in place."

Cannahelp is in a different neighborhood these days. Their new neighbor is Pope's Nude Bar. The old location was on posh El Paseo in Palm Desert.

Northern Californian marijuana at the El Paseo location cost Hochanadel around $4,000 a pound. The marijuana that will be sold in Palm Springs is locally grown and costs $1,000 a pound. But this Palm Springs location is currently not allowed by city leaders.

City Manager David Ready explained, "The local land use law still have to allow for that kind of use in the zoning codes. The city council can ultimately change the zoning code to include it. It's not currently there. That's why they certainly cannot open it while the council discusses the matter."

Hochanadal holds the State Attorney General's guidelines for opening marijuana dispensaries and says he's just following state law.

"It's not that I'm going to tout in their face that I have every right to do this. But I'm doing what I believe in. Sometimes you have to go against the grain to get things done." said Hochanadel

If Palm Springs City Council decides to change zoning laws, medicinal marijuana could be sold within weeks. If not, Hochanadel could find himself in a court battle all over again.

The city attorney is briefing the council next week on the legality of marijuana dispensaries. It will be up to them to change the zoning law, or fight it in court.

News Channel 3 also learned the other marijuana dispensary in town, called "CAPS," may be shut down if the council decides so next week.

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