Update: On Jan. 26 this matter was continued until Tuesday, Feb. 2.

Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich wants to suspend the cultivation, testing and sale of medical marijuana in L.A. County’s unincorporated territory long enough for the county to evaluate the impacts of those activities on the public.

Antonovich is asking his fellow supervisors Tuesday to impose a 45-day ban and instruct various county departments to study the effects of growing and distributing medical marijuana within the county.

“These activities have been associated with certain risks and crime,” Antonovich said in his motion.

“Additionally, outdoor cultivation is often associated with violations of local, state and federal environmental laws and pesticide regulations, threatening harm to local waterways and groundwater quality, and endangering the public health and safety.”

Antonovich believes such an evaluation is necessary in light of new state legislation that creates a framework for licensing medical marijuana businesses and enforcing new regulations.

“We have a fundamental obligation to protect the quality of life in our unincorporated neighborhoods and communities,” Antonovich said in his motion.

“Medical marijuana activities involve many issues that could potentially adversely impact our daily lives.”

A statewide regulatory guideline for medical marijuana activities was established in October 2015 through AB 266, AB 243 and SB 643, which regulate licensing and enforcement of activities associated with the distribution of medical marijuana.

Dispensing of medical marijuana has been banned in the Los Angeles County since 2011.