Last week, our Los Angeles cannabis attorneys were at the City Council meeting where the Council moved to amend the Draft Regulations that were previously released on September 22, 2017. The Los Angeles City Council moved to amend the Draft Regulations released on 9-22-2017 to include a motion that will allow cannabis operators who meet certain requirements to remain open if they file for limited immunity within 15 days of applications opening. You can read more about the Draft Regulations from September in our previous posts here and here.

The City did not provide guidance on the timing for applications opening. It is important to note that this limited immunity that allows operators to stay open is an additional step in the licensing process and does not replace the requirement of applying for a full business license from the City.  

In addition to conditions for cannabis manufacturers and cultivators who meet certain criteria to remain operating, the Council also discussed limiting the number of Los Angeles cannabis licenses the City will issue. The cap is being executed through the Public Convenience or Necessity Feature (PCN).  The motion presented ratios of licenses to residents as a way of satisfying the PCN requirement. For reference, the City of Los Angeles has 3.976 million residents.

Here is a breakdown of the number of licenses that will be issued:

The City has estimated that it will receive 10,000 cannabis business applications when it opens up for licensing. The total presented here is 1,458 new licensees, plus the Priority Dispensaries.

{{cta(’75c98fad-ab66-4c34-8425-715e7e57d0c5′)}} if you would like to further discuss your cannabis licensing application.