Some big news this week for cannabis operators seeking to open a business in Los Angeles! Read on for this week’s headlines from the California cannabis industry.

Los Angeles, California

No later than May 28, LA’s Department of Cannabis Regulation (DCR) will begin the pre-vetting process for social equity applicants. The city will be opening the new application window for Phase III no later than September 3, 2019.

There were a number of recommendations that the city council made for the City Attorney to adopt following their meeting on April 30. Here are some of the highlights (you can read the full results from the meeting here):

• Cannabis operators will be required to hold a valid Certificate of Occupancy that matches the “use” (i.e., retail) at the time a license is issued. The valid Certificate of Occupancy will be required as part of a permanent license application for all Phase I and Phase II license holders, as well as part of the annual license renewal requirements.
• Remove the ownership structure information requirement in Round 2 of Phase III. Changes to the ownership structure information would need to be reported to the DCR within 5 business days.
• Change the Round 2 of Phase III’s allocation to 150 license to meet the total licenses available
• Establish a 60-day window to pre-vet social equity applications for retail commercial cannabis activity. “Technical assistance will be in place a minimum of 45 days before the first application window opens.”
• Applicants who receive Type 10 or Type 9 licenses during Phase III should be able to amend their application during the annual licensing process to add non-retail components (with certain restrictions and conditions)
• Prohibit the sale or a major change of ownership of a social equity license until some minimum standards are adopted.

For more information about getting your license in Los Angeles, check out this episode of our podcast, read our three-part series on the Los Angeles, and learn more about Los Angeles’ Cannabis Social Equity program.

1. Part 1: Los Angeles’ Cannabis Rules and Regulations
2. Part 2: Los Angeles Cannabis Zoning
3. Part 3: Los Angeles Cannabis License Requirements

If you’re interested in applying for a cannabis license in Los Angeles, please get in touch with our experts today.

Marina, California

Marina’s city council provided an update to their timeline for approving cannabis license applications.

To read more about Marina’s licensing process, read our guide. Application processing will begin June 8, 2019 and follow this timeline:

• April 8 to June 7 – Phase I – Cannabis application submittal period
• June 10 to Jun 14 – Phase II – Application completeness review
• June 17 to June 21 – Applications delivered to HdL
• June 24 to July 26 – HdL data entry and staff review
• July 31 – Phase IIIa – HdL preliminary reports and Letters of Incompleteness done
• August 1 to August 23 – Supplemental review period for deficient applications
• August 28 – HdL delivers application reviews and background reports
• August 28 to September 6 – City reviews HdL reports and issues pass/fail letters
• September 16 to September 20 – Phase IIIb – (TBD) In-person interviews
• September 23 – HdL delivers Final reports and scores
• September 24 to September 27 – City letter to applicants moving to Phase IV.
• September 30 to December 17 – Phase IV Conditional Use Permits process

California Hemp Seed Breeders

California posted the state application forms for prospective hemp seed breeders.

We’ll have an in-depth update about the status of hemp in California later this month.

For now, download the seed breeder application form and get in touch with our team if you have any questions on how to apply.

To get help with your cannabis license, please click the “Get Started” button below to contact our team.

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Cannabis Business Co-Working Space in Downtown Los Angeles

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