In preparation of the Phase 3 application cycle opening on September 3rd, the City of Los Angeles Department of Cannabis Regulation (DCR) just released the final version of the application for a cannabis retail license. Until now, the extent of information required for the upcoming application cycle has remained unclear. The finalized application is much briefer than most folks anticipated and is a relief for many hopeful Phase 3 applicants.

Contrary to previous rounds of DCR licensing, Phase 3 will not require applicants to provide a detailed security plan, staffing plan, or professional radius map upon submitting their application. These requirements have been replaced with short, simple forms that require only basic preliminary information. Not having to submit the complete versions of these documents at the time of applying, which are often time-consuming to prepare, is a huge win for Phase 3 applicants – particularly those who had a delayed start to the process.

So, what is required?

The DCR will require 9 documents to be uploaded along with each Phase 3 application. If you have retained Margolin & Lawrence’s legal compliance services prior to September 3rd, our team will prepare 6 of those documents on your behalf. This leaves only 3 documents that you are responsible for preparing!

The 3 documents each applicant will need to provide are fairly straight-forward: a property lease or deed, a breakdown of the percentage shares, and a business premises diagram. Of those documents, the only item requiring a third-party professional’s services is the business premises diagram. Fortunately, the DCR has announced that it will require only basic specifications on the business premises diagram to be submitted on September 3rd. A more detailed diagram that identifies the location of all security cameras on the premises in addition to other criteria will not be required until a later date. However, it is still highly recommended that applicants consult a licensed architect to draft the initial business premises diagram before September 3rd. If the diagram submitted with the application does not fully meet the DCR’s requirements, the application will be denied and the DCR will give priority to subsequent applicants whose documents are compliant with the regulations. Margolin & Lawrence has a long-established relationship with an architect company that specializes in drafting business premises diagrams for cannabis retailers, and we have confirmed that there is still sufficient time for their team to provide a diagram to satisfy the requirements for a Phase 3 application. If you are still in need of a business premises diagram, contact a member of our team today for a referral.

If you have retained Margolin & Lawrence for the upcoming application cycle, our team will prepare the 6 DCR-issued forms on your behalf prior to September 3rd. If you have not yet retained our services, it is not too late! We are still accepting new clients for Phase 3 and encourage anyone interested in our services to contact us as soon as possible. Our experts will assist with the entire application process from beginning to end. We have employed an IT team to submit applications on behalf of our clients as soon as the application cycle opens on September 3rd to help ensure that our clients’ applications are among the first submitted. If you are interested in our services for the Phase 3 licensing cycle and would like to speak to a member of our team to further discuss the services we provide, call or email us today!