West Hollywood’s first four marijuana dispensaries can continue selling recreational cannabis — a move they say is necessary to keep their businesses alive — after an emotional, and at times contentious, City Council meeting Monday night.

In a 4-1 vote, the council decided to allow the stores to maintain temporary licenses to sell recreational marijuana until the businesses that won permanent licenses are up and running — which could take from three to nine months.

Many in the standing-room-only meeting were clad in white T-shirts bearing a rainbow-colored marijuana leaf, the logo of the so-called “West Hollywood Originals.”

Councilman John Duran, a proponent of granting permanent licenses to the original stores outright, was the lone “no” vote.

Read the full story on LATimes.com.