Los Angeles’ Phase 3 Round 1 Cannabis Retail Licensing Application Window Opens Soon

The application window for Los Angeles’ Phase 3 Round I cannabis retail license applicants will open on September 3, 2019 at 10:00am. Although the application window will technically be open until September 17, 2019, applications will be accepted on a first-come-first-served basis and there are only 100 permits available, so a rush to submit applications as soon as the window opens is certain to occur. 

While there are many important things to remember when preparing to apply for a Phase 3 Round I cannabis retail permit in L.A., we have whittled the list down to the top 4 things that every potential applicant should know.

#1 Verified Social Equity Applicants are Required to Submit a Phase 3 Round I Licensing Application.

You or another Owner of your company must have registered and been verified as a Phase 3 Social Equity Applicant in order participate in the Phase 3 cannabis retail application process. Your Phase 3 Retail Round I licensing applications will be submitted through the social equity applicant’s online portal, so be sure to have access to that individual’s portal before the submission window opens. 

#2 Ensure Your Property is Eligible for Cannabis Retail.

Before applying for a cannabis retail license, you will want to ensure your property/facility is permit eligible. In general, you will want to ensure the following things: 

1. That the proposed business location is at least 700 feet from any school, public park, public library, alcoholism or drug abuse recovery or treatment facility, day care center, permanent supportive housing, or other Type 10 retail license;
2. That the property in question is zoned appropriately for use as a cannabis retail facility; and
3. That the property is not in an area that has already met its “Undue Concentration” limits. 

#3 Prepare Your Phase 3 Cannabis Retail Round I Licensing Application Documents Ahead of Time.

The City of Los Angeles’ Department of Cannabis released the Phase 3 Round I application document requirements so that you can prepare your application materials well before the submission window opens. You will be required to upload the following items in order to submit a Phase 3 Round I cannabis retail licensing application:

1. Executed Lease or Purchase Agreement
2. Ownership and Financial Interest Holder Information
   1. Owner and Financial Interest Holder Disclosure Form
3. Financial Information
   1. Financial Form
4. Business Premises Diagram
5. Proposed Staffing and Security Plan
6. A dated radius map including horizontal lines and labeling of any sensitive uses relative to a Type 10 License
7. Labor Peace Agreement Form
8. Indemnification Agreement Form
9. Equity Share Information

#4 Tier 1 Licensing Applicants Have Priority Processing.

Remember that Tier 1 applicants have priority processing over Tier 2 applicants. Thus, the first 75 Tier 1 applications that meet all application requirements will be eligible for continued Round I processing. The remaining 25 application spaces may be filled by either Tier 1 or Tier 2 applicants. 

For assistance preparing your Phase 3 Round I application materials or to find out more about the Phase 3 Round I application requirements, please contact Rogoway Law Group today.