Pot shop removes smoking Santa window painting

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 17 (UPI) -- A Los Angeles medical marijuana dispensary removed a pot-smoking Santa painting from its window following complaints from members of the public.

The Harbor House of Dank in San Pedro hired an artist last week to create window paintings including Santa Claus smoking a blunt and a snowman holding a prescription bottle.

Pictures of the paintings were posted on Facebook, where they drew hundreds of complaints. Posts on the closed "Coastal San Pedro Neighborhood Watch" Facebook group criticized the paintings for being prominently displayed in an area frequented by children.

The paintings were removed from the windows Tuesday. The store manager said he had the artist scrape them off the windows when he learned about the complaints from the public.

The furor over the pot-smoking St. Nick may have caused further troubles for the Harbor House, as Los Angeles Councilman Joe Buscaino's office said the business is operating illegally.

Los Angeles voters passed proposition D in May, which only allows for 135 dispensaries in business prior to a 2007 moratorium to remain in business, Buscaino's office said.

The Harbor House of Dank has only been open for a few weeks. The dispensary is one of hundreds being investigated by the City Attorney's Office and the police department, officials said.