World's Largest Medical Cannabis Dispensary Wins Major Victory To Avoid Shutdown

A federal magistrate on Monday ruled that the Harborside Health Center located in Oakland and San Jose, Calif., can continue to operate, despite a bid by federal prosecutors to shut it down. Harborside is widely considered the world's largest medical cannabis dispensary.

The ruling comes as the latest move in a larger battle over the fate of medical marijuana dispensaries in California, where shops operating in full compliance with state law have come under pressure from the federal government.

Medical cannabis is currently legal in 18 states and the District of Columbia, but U.S. prosecutors have argued federal law -- which forbids the substance -- should take precedence.