DCR News Bulletin

November 2026

Greetings, 

There is a lot of activity taking place at DCR and this month’s bulletin will cover the information you need to know. Plus, there is something in here commemorating a significant historical milestone in the cannabis world. Please read on. 

First, tomorrow, November 2, is the last day for record holders to submit and pay for their 2027 renewal applications during the regular renewal period. As a reminder, a timely renewal entails submitting a complete application and paying all fees. Additional information on completing the process is in this publication. After November 2, only one late renewal period is available through the end of November and may include late fees if renewed during the late period. Although limited fee waivers are available for Social Equity Individual applicants, funding for them may not be available after November 2, 2026. For more information about the 2027 renewal period you can visit DCR’s renewal page.

Second, in a few days, DCR will host its first webinar for the 2026 Retail Storefront Application Lottery and it will cover how Social Equity Individual Applicants (SEIA) can participate. The lottery will take place on Friday, December 4, 2026. More information for verified SEIAs interested in registering is available below in the bulletin. 

Finally, this month DCR and the cannabis community celebrates 30 years of the Compassionate Use Act and 10 years of the Control, Regulate and Tax Adult Use of Marijuana Act – two pieces of landmark legislation that not only contributed to the widespread access of cannabis in California, but the nation as a whole. It’s been remarkable to witness the progression of the cannabis industry grow, but as we all commemorate the State’s anniversaries of medical and adult-use marijuana, it’s important to remember there is still work to be done. The federal rescheduling of cannabis is in limbo, some states are attempting to roll back legalization, and tens of thousands of individuals remain incarcerated for cannabis-related crimes. Despite this, the industry remains resilient and I am optimistic about what the future will bring. 

Please note that DCR offices will be closed on Wednesday, November 11, for Veteran’s Day, and on Thursday, November 26, and Friday, November 27, for Thanksgiving.  Wishing you and your loved ones a warm and joyous holiday.

Michelle Garakian

Executive Director

Regular and Late Renewal

Monday, November 2, 2026, marks the final day of the regular 2027 Renewal Period. This means a complete application and payment for both renewal and any other outstanding fees must be submitted by the end of this day to avoid late fees. If you have not submitted it or paid for the applicable fees yet, you should be aware of the following: 

• Invoices will take time to process for online payment. If you submit your renewal on November 2, 2026, you will not be able to pay the renewal fees online that same day. 
• Payments can be made in person or mailed, but please see the guidelines for this on DCR’s Fees, Fines and Payments page. 
• Please be aware that other outstanding fees on the record will need to be paid as well and invoices will require a review by DCR staff during regular business hours. This requires advanced planning on the record holder’s part. 

If you miss the regular November 2, 2026, deadline, there will be ONE late renewal period from November 3, 2026, to November 30, 2026. Here is some additional information on late submissions and/or late payments, and the assessment of late fees.

• Renewal applications submitted on or after November 3, 2026, will automatically be invoiced late fees and must pay those late fees to have their renewal processed.
• Timely submitted renewal applications with payments made on November 3, 2026, or later, will not automatically be invoiced applicable late fees. However, late fees will be incurred and must be paid by the 2028 Renewal Period. 
• Timely submitted renewal applications where there was a failure to correct or cure documents tendered will not automatically be invoiced applicable late fees. However, late fees will be incurred and must be paid by the 2028 Renewal Period.

More information on fees is available on DCR’s Fees, Fines and Payments page.

2026 Retail Storefront Application Lottery

Last month, DCR announced that the 2026 Retail Storefront Application Lottery is coming in December! In preparation, Social Equity Individual Applicants (SEIA) interested in participating in the lottery can sign up for two upcoming webinars - one on how to register for the lottery on November 4, 2026, and one on how the lottery will be conducted on November 19, 2026. Both will be held at noon.

Over 2,000 individuals have been verified as Social Equity Individual Applicants (SEIA) in 2019, 2022, and 2025, and are eligible to participate in  the lottery. 

You must register to participate in this lottery and only verified SEIAs can participate-not consultants or anybody else. For those SEIAs interested in registering, DCR recommends taking some time in advance of the registration period to ensure you know your username and password for logging into the DCR Licensing Portal. If you have any issues logging in, please email DCRLicensing@lacity.org as soon as possible. DCR will dedicate staff to assist with login issues during the Lottery registration period, but depending on the number of inquiries cannot guarantee we will be able to accommodate all requests within the registration window.

Should you have any questions pertaining to the Retail Storefront Application Lottery, please reach out to cannabis@lacity.org.

New Ban on Nitrous Oxide Sales

The City of Los Angeles has enacted a new ordinance to prohibit the sale and distribution of nitrous oxide by cannabis retailers. Under the new regulations, it is unlawful for any licensed or unlicensed cannabis retailer in the City to sell, advertise for sale, offer for sale, distribute, or otherwise provide nitrous oxide, or any devices used to dispense, administer, or contain it. An exception is provided for pre-packaged food products where nitrous oxide is contained entirely within the package and used solely as a propellant. 

Nitrous oxide is sometimes referred to as laughing gas and is used as a short-acting sedative during medical procedures.

If DCR’s Compliance and Enforcement Division observes the sale or storage of any illicit drugs or substances on the premises of a licensed cannabis operator, the matter will be referred to LAPD. While criminal enforcement of misdemeanor violations falls under the purview of LAPD, non-compliance or unauthorized distribution of prohibited items may result in formal administrative action, as well as statutory misdemeanor penalties of up to a $1,000 fine and six months imprisonment.

Cannabis Legislation Anniversaries

Thirty years ago this month, California passed Proposition 215, the Compassionate Use Act, making it the very first state to legalize cannabis for qualified medical patients. Since setting the pace for the rest of the country, 40 other states have followed suit and created their own regulated medical marijuana programs. 

Fast forward twenty years to 2016 and California became the fifth state to establish a comprehensive regulatory framework to legalize, control, and regulate recreational cannabis to adults 21 years and older via Proposition 64. This framework included the sale, cultivation, distribution, testing, processing, and manufacturing of cannabis products. Since then, California’s cannabis industry has hit some major milestones:

• 215,000 cannabis convictions have been cleared from people’s records allowing many individuals better opportunities for employment
• 48% of California cities and counties allow at least one cannabis business type
• At least 20 cities and counties have adopted social equity provisions 
• Approximately 80,000 jobs created in the legal industry 
• $8.4 billion in tax revenue
• The California Exposition & State Fair announced the first-ever state-sanctioned cannabis competition and awards in 2021 

There are many individuals that were at the forefront of the legalization efforts. Along the way, many were arrested for their advocacy efforts. Many are still working to make headway - pushing for local leaders to implement cannabis consumption lounges or advocating for federal legalization. The work continues.