In order to participate in Commercial Cannabis Activity within the City of Los Angeles, both a state and a local license is required. The City of Los Angeles issues licenses for the following commercial cannabis activity types: cultivation, manufacturing, distribution, testing, retail, and delivery.
The City has also established a Licensing and Social Equity Program that enumerates various restrictions related to licensing and application processing. Please see the below table for information about commercial cannabis activity license restrictions and application processing restrictions.
License Type | License CAP | Are Applications Currently Being Accepted? | SEP Application Processing Restrictions | Comments |
Testing | No | Yes | No | |
Distribution | No | Yes | No | |
Non-Volatile Manufacturing | No | Yes | No | |
Volatile Manufacturing | Yes | No | No | |
Cultivation | Yes | No | Yes. Limited to Social Equity Applicants until December 31, 2025 | |
| Cultivation - Processor | No | Yes | No | |
Delivery | No | Yes | Yes. Limited to Social Equity Applicants until | SEAs must be verified. SEIAs may be verified under the 2019, 2022, or 2025 eligibility criteria. |
Retail | Yes | No | Yes. Limited to Social Equity Applicants until December 31, 2025 | Licenses are limited per CPA. To apply for a retail license in a CPA that has reached Undue Concentration, an applicant must request a finding of public convenience or necessity (PCN) from the City Council. Both general and SEIA applicants may submit a PCN request pursuant to LAMC section 104.03(a)(1). A lottery will be administered to determine which eligible SEAs are selected to apply for a License in a CPA that has not reached Undue Concentration. SEIAs must be verified pursuant to LAMC Sections 104.20(a)(3) and 104.06.1(d) before they are eligible to participate in the next lottery. |
Interested parties can apply for a license and access a comprehensive overview of DCR’s licensing processes, workflows, and required forms on OpenCities here.