FAQs

What types of Commercial Cannabis Businesses are going to be allowed in the County if the Title 4 Commercial Cannabis Businesses ordinance is adopted and Measure B passes?

The following County Licenses will be issued: Cultivator License, Distributor License, Manufacturing License, Retail License, and Testing Laboratory License. These correspond with the State's Annual State Licenses. The following State license types are specifically prohibited: outdoor cultivation and temporary cannabis event/event organizer. A person applying to operate a "Microbusiness" under State law can obtain more than one type of County License with one County application, but may only operate one location that complies with all requirements of each County License.

Is the County going to allow Medicinal Cannabis, Adult-Use Cannabis, or both?

The proposed ordinance limited Retailer licensees to the sale of medicinal cannabis only. However, at the July 10, 2018 meeting, the Board amended the proposed ordinance to allow Retailer Licensees to sell medicinal and adult-sue cannabis. Therefore, the Title 4 ordinance agendized for adoption allows all County License types to operate under an M-License, A-License, or both.

Is delivery allowed under the Title 4 Commercial Cannabis Business Ordinance?

Yes, Retailer Licensees will be allowed to conduct delivery as a storefront or as a non-storefront delivery pursuant to their Annual State License.

Can I get a County Cannabis License based on a Temporary State License?

An applicant can apply for a County Cannabis License based on a Temporary State License, but the County Cannabis License will not be valid and they will not be allowed to operate in the County unless the operator has a valid Annual State License.

How can I tell if I can get a County Cannabis License on my property?

Information on whether an applicant can get a Commercial Cannabis License for a specific property will not be available until after the Community Development Department completes the Title 9 amendments and they are approved by the Board of Supervisors.

When will the Title 9 Development Title amendments be complete?

These amendment are expected to be heard by the Planning Commission in or around October and heard by the Board in or around November of 2018.

When can I apply for a County Cannabis License?

The County expects to be accepting County License applications through the County's Environmental Health Department in November 2018.

Will my application for a County Cannabis License have to be approved at a public hearing?

Yes, if an application is for a stand-alone Commercial Cannabis Business then it will have to obtain a Use Permit which requires a public hearing. If the application is for the development of a Cannabis Business Park then it will have to obtain a Special Purpose Plan which requires a public hearing. However, after a Cannabis Business Park is approved, Licensees that are applying to be located within that Park will only need an Improvement Plan, which does not require a public hearing.

Is there anything that would disqualify me from getting a County License?

An applicant for a County License (or any owner of that applicant if the applicant is a business) must meet the qualifications in Section 45 of MAUCRSA which amended Section 26057 of the Business and Professions Code, and must not have been convicted within the last 5 years of any felony involving trafficking, manufacturing, or cultivating a federally controlled substance including violations of Sections 11351,11351.5, 11352, 11378, 11379, 11358, 11359, and 11379.6 of the Health and Safety Code.

Will applications for Commercial Cannabis Businesses be subject to environmental review?

Yes, the California Environmental Quality Act ("CEQA") will apply to the development of Commercial Cannabis Businesses in the County. The environmental review required by CEQA will be done during the Title 9 land use approval for each project.