March 2024

The Department of Cannabis Regulation’s (DCR) Social Equity Program (SEP) celebrates the contributions women have made to society and recognizes the achievements of women over the course of American history in a variety of fields. We honor the important roles women play and acknowledge the grandmothers, mothers, sisters, daughters, wives, and friends who continue to inspire, break barriers, and shatter stereotypes.

March 8, 2024 is International Women’s Day-a day for women to be celebrated globally without regard to divisions, whether national, ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic or political. During this Women’s History Month, let's remember the importance of gender equality and work towards creating a more inclusive world.

WOMEN IN LOS ANGELES CANNABIS:

Women-Owned Cannabis Companies to support

66 Women Owned Cannabis Companies to watch out for

Be A Part of the Women's Canna Awards in L.A.: Bringing Together Women from Across the Cannabis Industry

BLC Spotlight

DCR’s very own Social Equity Program Director, Dr. Imani Brown, leads her team with unwavering passion and innovation, and her presence serves as a powerful catalyst for change. Her advocacy for inclusivity in the Cannabis space inspires others to challenge ingrained biases and strive for equity. Dr. Brown’s dedication to paving the way for future generations is a testament to the boundless potential of women in leadership roles. As we celebrate Women’s History Month, we show our gratitude to Dr. Brown, and acknowledge all the women leaders at DCR that continue to be committed to advancing equity within the community they serve.

Go Green!

The Department of Cannabis Regulation (DCR) wishes you a Happy St. Patrick’s Day, observing the feast of St. Patrick on March 17 and honoring Irish culture. Celebrate the Luck O’ the Irish responsibly, Go Green, Go Legal.

Preview of Upcoming Events - Save the Date

• April 11 - Live training, professional development and networking event. More to come.
• Equity Week April 13 - April 20. More to come about DCR-SEP 420 Week events and activities.

Important Updates

DCC EQUITY FEE WAIVER FUNDING NOTICE

Attention!

Funding for equity fee waivers offered to qualified businesses through the Department of Cannabis Control (DCC) is approaching zero. Once funding runs out, both locally verified and non-locally verified equity licensees will no longer be able to have their state license fee waived. However, equity businesses may still qualify for six-month fee deferrals.

Equity licensees are still encouraged to apply for a fee waiver through the Department of Cannabis Control and the Department will continue to review submissions even after funds are exhausted, as fee waiver qualification is a requirement for other programs offered through other agencies.

SOCIAL EQUITY DEADLINE EXTENSION

Mayor Karen Bass signed into law a deadline extension for 100 Social Equity Applicants selected in the Phase 3 Retail Round 2 Retail Cannabis License Lottery, allowing them three additional years, until December 31, 2026, to enter the license application process. The original deadline expired on December 8, 2023. The new ordinance also allows DCR to continue accepting Temporary Approval applications from retail social equity applicants through January 1, 2031.

The move by the City Council came after the passage of the State’s SB 51, which allows the State of California’s Department of Cannabis Control to extend its provisional license program by allowing cannabis equity retail applicants or licensees to obtain or renew state provisional licenses after the prior deadline of June 30, 2023.

SOCIAL EQUITY PROGRAM WEBSITE UNDERGOING MAINTENANCE

The Social Equity Program website (dcrsep.org) dedicated to the Business, License, and Compliance Programs and DCR Job Board is undergoing maintenance. For information on the SEP, please click here for the DCR website.

RULES AND REGULATIONS

DCR updated its Rules and Regulations. Please take a few minutes to read through the new rules and regulations, including those to Regulation No. 5. The cannabis industry is a fast-growing and changing one. It is critical you stay up-to-date on the new rules and regulations.

Summary of the New Rules and Regulations HERE

Pro Bono - Low Bono Legal Services Now Available

All Social Equity Individual Applicants who have passed the Pre-Application stage are now eligible to apply for Pro Bono - Low Bono Legal Services offered by the DCR Social Equity Program in partnership with the Los Angeles County Bar Association (LACBA).

Access to affordable legal services continues to be a major barrier for the Social Equity community. It is critical that Social Equity Individual Applicants and licensees seek and obtain legal counsel early to avoid predatory practices, pitfalls, and mistakes. Applicants can apply to receive up to 40 hours of legal services: 10 hours of free pro bono assistance and 30 hours of low bono assistance for $35 per hour.

LEARN MORE HERE

Try the FREE Learning Management System (LMS)

As part of the BLC Assistance Program, this online Learning Management System (LMS) provides you with over 160 hours of self-paced educational content on key topics to assist with standing up your business and staying in compliance.

If you are accessing the LMS system for the first time, please log in using the email address linked to your DCR Accela Account and use “Password1”. If you are having difficulty logging into the LMS, contact us at dcr.sep@lacity.org

CHECK OUT THE LMS

Licensed Retail Map

Licensing and Pending Location Map

Complaint Portal

Archived Webinars

Get the latest cannabis news from around the country.

News

• Small Cannabis Companies Are Subject to New Ownership Reporting Rule.
• Canadian Recreational Cannabis Sales Surpass $5 Billion in 2023
• National Law Enforcement Group Urges Cannabis Rescheduling
• Nevada’s First Regulated Cannabis Consumption Lounge Opens in Las Vegas
• The Struggles and Successes of Cannabis Social Equity
• Elizabeth Warren’s Dream Blunt Rotation and Plan To Deschedule Cannabis
• This Bbrand Bbrings Tthe Bbeauty of Ccannabis Iindoors Tthrough Ssophisticated Cannabis Inspired Interior Design
• Ohio Police Trained Cannabis Sniffing Dogs Will Need To Be Retired
• Here is How California Cannabis Dashboards Change Everything
• Arizona Lawmakers Approve Bill to Allow Interstate Cannabis Commerce and New Bill Targets 'Predatory Tactics' Toward Social Equity Licenses
• Georgia Lawsuit Claims 12 Cannabis Companies Mislead Consumers With Delta Products

BLC Resources

•  Free Pro Bono - Low Bono ($35/hour) Legal Services
• Learning Management System (LMS)
•  Support Social Equity Program (SEP) stores - Find a retailer HERE

Thank you for reading our monthly CannaDispatch newsletter, designed to provide timely and useful information about DCR-SEP news, services, programming and resources for the Los Angeles Social Equity community, SEIAs, licensees and operators.

If you have suggestions for future newsletter topics, please email us at dcr.sep@lacity.org. The DCR public counter is open Tuesday and Wednesday from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM at 221 N. Figueroa St, Suite 1245, Los Angeles, CA 90012. Call (213) 978-0738 to speak with a DCR representative.