Feds raid Los Angeles pot shops

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 26 (UPI) -- The federal government has taken its first large-scale action against medical marijuana dispensaries in Los Angeles, the U.S. attorney's office said.

Federal agents raided several cannabis shops and issued warning letters to dozens of others on Tuesday, the Los Angeles Times reported.

"We couldn't do all of L.A. at once," said spokesman Thom Mrozek. "There's just too many stores."

Prosecutors filed civil asset forfeiture complaints against the owners of three properties in northeastern Los Angeles for allowing commercial marijuana stores to operate on their premises.

Mrozek said authorities also issued warning letters to the property owners and operators of an additional 67 dispensaries, mostly in the downtown and Eagle Rock areas, giving them two weeks to comply with federal law.

Over the past year, federal authorities have targeted pot businesses across California, including a high-profile raid at a marijuana trade school in Oakland.