Los Angeles Revamps Rules to Speed Cannabis Permit Approvals And Boost Social Equity
- 2 years ago
#LosAngeles has revised its #cannabis #ordinance and tweaked some other related rules in an effort to speed up #business license application processing and approval timelines. The widespread changes, approved in #April by the City #Council and #LA’s Department of Cannabis Regulation (#DCR), hope to quell mounting frustrations and criticism from the #marijuana industry and the city’s own regulators and lawmakers.
The modifications will affect more than 2,500 existing marijuana businesses across L.A. and countless applicants and operators in the pipeline as well as expand the nation’s largest #social #equity program. The biggest regulatory changes, according to industry experts and the DCR, include: Mandating timelines for the DCR to process license applications and modifications.
Creating a pathway for applicants to refile applications deemed “abandoned” after Jan. 1, 2022.
Establishing a new window for social equity verification. The window will open May 26 for 60 days, and applicants will have new criteria to qualify for the designation.
The ordinance and rule amendments, according to #cannabisattorney Ariel #Clark, likely will help unclog backlogs and bottlenecks by streamlining reviews and reducing paperwork to determine whether an applicant can proceed with licensing. “Overall, the ordinance will help create clearer licensing guidelines and a more efficient process for license approval and modification,”
Michelle Mabugat, counsel at L.A.-based law firm #Greenberg Glusker, said it wasn’t uncommon for the DCR to take a year or longer to process business relocation requests and ownership changes filed by her clients. “Those days are hopefully now over,” said Mabugat, who represents entrepreneurs and companies throughout L.A.’s marijuana #supply chain.
The modifications will affect more than 2,500 existing marijuana businesses across L.A. and countless applicants and operators in the pipeline as well as expand the nation’s largest #social #equity program. The biggest regulatory changes, according to industry experts and the DCR, include: Mandating timelines for the DCR to process license applications and modifications.
Creating a pathway for applicants to refile applications deemed “abandoned” after Jan. 1, 2022.
Establishing a new window for social equity verification. The window will open May 26 for 60 days, and applicants will have new criteria to qualify for the designation.
The ordinance and rule amendments, according to #cannabisattorney Ariel #Clark, likely will help unclog backlogs and bottlenecks by streamlining reviews and reducing paperwork to determine whether an applicant can proceed with licensing. “Overall, the ordinance will help create clearer licensing guidelines and a more efficient process for license approval and modification,”
Michelle Mabugat, counsel at L.A.-based law firm #Greenberg Glusker, said it wasn’t uncommon for the DCR to take a year or longer to process business relocation requests and ownership changes filed by her clients. “Those days are hopefully now over,” said Mabugat, who represents entrepreneurs and companies throughout L.A.’s marijuana #supply chain.