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 | At this time, DCR is not accepting applications for this activity. |
Cultivation | Yes | Yes | No | Beginning October 19, 2026, DCR will accept license applications for this activity from all applicants. Applications will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis in each available Community Plan Area until Undue Concentration is reached. |
Delivery | No | Yes | No | |
Retail | Yes | Yes (see notes in comments section) | Yes. Limited to selected Social Equity Individual Applicants until December 31, 2031. | A lottery is administered to select which eligible SEIAs can apply for a License in a Community Plan Area (CPA) that has not reached Undue Concentration. SEIAs must be verified pursuant to LAMC Sections 104.20(a and 104.20(b) before being determined eligible to participate in the lottery. Licenses are limited per CPA. To apply in a CPA that has reached Undue Concentration, City Council must approve a public convenience or necessity (PCN) request pursuant to LAMC Section 104.03(a)(1). |
Interested parties can apply for a license and access a comprehensive overview of DCR’s licensing processes, workflows, and required forms on the Access Cannabis website here.