Blog Layout
2020 Cannabis Business Licensing Opportunities in California
Last Updated on August 25, 2020
Municipalities across the state are issuing new cannabis business licenses. One of the most important markets on the horizon is Fresno, the state's 5th largest city by population, which will likely open its license application process in Q4 2020. Below is a high level overview of what markets are currently open or opening soon and those that are anticipated later in the year. Regulations change frequently and new markets continue to emerge. While the majority of the state’s licensing opportunities are listed below this list is not exhaustive. If you have specific questions about California markets, contact us.
Currently Open
City of Benicia
- Status: Applications for cultivators, distributors, manufacturers, testing labs, and microbusinesses are being accepted on an ongoing basis.
- Population: 28,306
- Available License Types:
- Cultivators
- Distributors
- Manufacturers
- Testing laboratories
- Microbusinesses
- Links:
City of Coachella
- Status: Currently accepting retail applications as part of the city’s social equity program until August 31, 2020 at 6:00 PM PT.
- Population: 45,839
- Available License Types:
- Retailer (Up to 10 licenses)
- Links:
City of Coalinga
- Status: Open application for indoor cultivation, manufacturing, testing laboratories, distribution, nursery, and microbusinesses.
- Population: 16,534
- Available License Types:
- Indoor cultivation (up to 5,000 square feet canopy)
- Indoor cultivation (5,001 to 10,000 square feet canopy)
- Indoor cultivation (10,001 to 22,000 square feet canopy)
- Manufacturing (non-volatile)
- Manufacturing (volatile)
- Testing laboratory
- Distribution
- Nursery
- Microbusiness
- Links:
City of Concord
- Status: Applications are open on a first-come-first-serve basis for Manufacturing, Testing Laboratories, Type 11 Distribution, and Microbusinesses without Storefront Retail. RFP for Retail Storefront, Non-Storefront, and Microbusiness with Storefront Retail tentatively scheduled to be released on October 5, 2020.
- Population: 129,688
- Available License Types:
- Manufacturers (5 total licenses, two already licensed)
- Storefront retailers (3 licenses)
- Non-storefront retailers (3 licenses)
- Microbusinesses (2 storefront, 2 non-storefront)
- Type 11 distributors (2 licenses)
- Type 13 distributors (Only in conjunction with another cannabis business license)
- Testing laboratories (No limit, currently 2)
- Links:
City of Marysville
- Status: Applications for cultivation, manufacturing, and lab testing are being accepted on an ongoing basis.
- Population: 12,518
- Available License Types:
- Cultivation
- Manufacturing
- Testing Lab
- Links:
Nevada City
- Status: The next application deadline is September 30, 2020.
- Population: 3,142
- Available License Types:
- Manufacturing
- Distribution
- Nursery
- Testing laboratories
- Links:
City of Oceanside
- Status: License applications are currently being until 5:00 pm PT on October 1, 2020 for the medicinal cannabis business types listed below.
- Population: 176,080
- Available License Types:
- Medical Distribution
- Medicinal Manufacturing
- Medical Testing Laboratories
- Links:
City of Palm Springs
- Status: Applications are currently being accepted. Qualified social equity applicants are eligible to receive benefits and assistance to navigate the application and permitting process.
- Population: 48,375
- Available License Types:
- Cultivation
- Distribution
- Retailers
- Lounges
- Manufacturing
- Testing laboratories
- Links:
City of Sacramento
- Status: The city revealed in January that it is contemplating an additional 10 storefront retails permits. A City Council meeting is scheduled for August 18th to discuss storefront retail permits. The city is accepting license applications for other business types on an ongoing basis.
- Population: 508,529
- Available License Types:
- Delivery
- Microbusiness
- Cultivation
- Non-volatile manufacturing
- Testing laboratories
- Storefront retailers (potential for 10 additional licenses)
- Links:
City of San Leandro
- Status: Applications for manufacturing licenses are being accepted on an ongoing basis.
- Population: 89,703
- Available License Types:
- Manufacturing (No limit)
- Links:
County of San Luis Obispo
- Status: Open application process.
- Population: 47,446
- Available License Types:
- Outdoor cultivation
- Indoor cultivation
- Non-storefront retailer
- Distribution
- Manufacturing
- Nurseries
- Testing facilities
- Links:
City of Santa Ana
- Status: Applications for cultivation, distribution, manufacturing, and lab testing are being accepted on an ongoing basis.
- Population: 332,725
- Available License Types:
- Cultivation
- Distribution
- Manufacturing
- Laboratory testing
- Links:
Later in 2020
Alameda County
- Status: New medical cannabis ordinances will go into effect on October 12, 2020.
- Population: 1,671,000
- Available License Types:
- Medical dispensaries (5 total licenses, 3 new, 2 for existing dispensaries)
- Cultivation (6 licenses, 4 mixed-light, 2 indoor; 2 for existing dispensaries)
- Delivery (Available to "brick and mortar" dispensaries holding a valid license or permit to dispense medical cannabis)
- Links:
- Status: No timeline in place for accepting permit applications. The City Council needs to review the proposed regulations.
- Population: 94,776
- Potential License Types:
- Storefront retail
- Testing laboratory
- Manufacturer
- Distributor
- Non-storefront retail delivery
- Links:
City of Corona
- Status: Estimated application timeline is Q4 2020.
- Population: 168,819
- Available License Types:
- Storefront retailer (17 licenses)
- 1 location per business
- Microbusiness (No limit)
- Non-storefront retailer (No limit)
- Manufacturing (No limit)
- Distribution (No limit)
- Testing Laboratory (No limit)
- Links:
Crescent City
- Status: No timeline in place for accepting permit applications. Revisions to Ordinance No. 819 are in progress.
- Population: 6,805
- Potential License Types:
- Storefront retail
- Non-storefront retail delivery
- Cultivation (indoor only, 2,000 sq. ft. canopy limit, one permit per person, entity, or legal parcel)
- Non-volatile manufacturing
- Processing facilities
- Distribution
- Micro-businesses
- Testing laboratories
- Links:
City of El Centro
- Status: The application process is anticipated to start in early September, with applications due on October 30, 2020. City council has not yet released the application review criteria.
- Population: 44,120
- Available License Types:
- Storefront retail (2 licenses)
- Links:
City of Fresno
- Status: City officials estimate that the license application process could begin in mid-September 2020. This licensing process will be very competitive and will likely give precedence to social equity applicants.
- Population: 530,093
- Available License Types:
- Retail (14 licenses, up to 7 more licenses may be issued by Council Resolution)
- Cultivation, Distribution, Manufacturing (16 total licenses for all three of these business types, 8 must be located within the Cannabis Innovation Hub)
- Testing laboratories (No limit)
- Links:
City of La Habra
- Status: No timeline in place for accepting permit applications. The City Council needs to review the proposed regulations.
- Population: 62,183
- Potential License Types:
- Non-Storefront retailer (2 licenses)
- Links:
City of Jurupa Valley
- Status: The Jurupa Valley city council is continuing to discuss a November ballot proposal that would increase the commercial cannabis tax and adopt new regulatory requirements for cannabis businesses.
- Population: 108,393
- Available License Types:
- Retail (7 license cap)
- Status: The City Council has approved its application procedures and selection criteria. Applications are likely to be released in the coming weeks.
- Population: 55,655
- Potential License Types:
- Non-storefront Retail (No limit)
- Testing laboratories (2 licenses)
- Manufacturing (2 licenses)
- Indoor cultivation (2 licenses)
- Microbusinesses (3 licenses)
- Distribution (1 standalone license, No limit if permitted as an ancillary to one of the above business types, where permitted by state law.)
- Links:
Redwood City
- Status: The City Council is working on regulations.
- Population: 86,200
- Available License Types:
- Storefront retail
- Links:
City of Rio Vista
- Status: Cannabis ordinance (Ordinance No. 008-2020) went into effect on June 17, 2020.
- Population: 9,239
- Available License Types:
- Storefront retail (3 licenses)
- Microbusiness
- Delivery
- Indoor cultivation (limited to six plants each)
- Links:
City of San Bernardino
- Status: On September 2, 2020 staff will be taking a Second Reading of MC-1541 to the Mayor and City Council. If passed, this ordinance would increase the number of cannabis businesses allowed in the city.
- Population: 215,941
- Available License Types:
- Cannabis Retail Establishments (17 total)
- Delivery (No limit)
- Indoor/Mixed-Light Cultivation (No limit)
- Distribution (No limit)
- Manufacturing (No limit)
- Testing Laboratories (No limit)
- Links:
Santa Barbara County
- Status: County supervisors have approved up to six new storefront licenses. Applications for Storefront Retail licenses are anticipated to be released in September.
- Available License Types:
- Storefront Retail (6 licenses, 1 per designated community plan area within the unincorporated area of the county)
- Delivery
- Indoor Cultivation
- Non-Volatile Manufacturing
- Processing
- Distribution
- Microbusinesses
- Testing lab
- Links:
City of Stanton
- Status: Applications are anticipated within the next two weeks. The limits on each license type may be changed by the City Council at any time.
- Population: 38,234
- Available License Types:
- Storefront Retail (4 licenses)
- Delivery (4 licenses)
- Cultivation (4 licenses)
- Indoor/Mixed-Light Cultivation (4 licenses)
- Manufacturing (4 licenses)
- Distribution (4 licenses)
- Testing Laboratories (4 licenses)
City of Tracy
- Status: The City is continuing to evaluate application procedures and guidelines for the eventual opening of an application period for Cannabis Business Permits.
- Population: 91,812
- Available License Types:
- Storefront retail (4 licenses)
- Non-storefront retail
- Indoor cultivation
- Distribution
- Non-volatile manufacturing
- Microbusiness
- Laboratory testing
City of Tulare
- Status: Waiting to finalize licensing fees before accepting applications for the additional storefront retail license.
- Population: 64,675
- Available License Types:
- Storefront retailers (1 license at this time, two medical operators have been grandfathered in, five total licenses eventually)
Share
Recommended Articles
This guide highlights all 3C Consulting has learned on helping clients to develop, licence, and grow legal cannabis businesses globally.
Lack of compliance for companies makes investment due diligence risky. This cannabis due diligence checklist supports success for your business.
Despite challenges, the cannabis industry is still growing stronger than ever. Learn how to secure limited cannabis business licenses amid COVID-19 hardships.
