Welcome to “A Market You Should Know,” MMLG’s ongoing series all about emerging cannabis markets that licensed operators and entrepreneurs/would-be licensees may want know more about. This week? We’re looking at Corona, California. Recently/previously in AMYSK: Concord. 4/2/2021: See updated retail/dispensary application timeline below.

Corona, California cannabis licensing snapshot

The Least You Should Know

• For starters, Corona is about 30 minutes east of Anaheim in Riverside. Like several other cities in the I-15 corridor –Lake Elsinore, Wildomar– Corona is looking at opening up for adult-use.
• The city is considering, but, to be clear, retail storefront applications are not available yet. Most folks in the know are anticipating applications to be open and available later this fall.
• Corona is Riverside County’s third-largest city, and has a population of ~170,000. It has a high residential concentration, and also several significant companies/job creators in its industrial corridor. Notably, Fender builds its guitars there and, not kidding, Monster Energy is based there.
• Over 50% of Corona’s population is in that 20-55 y.o. consumer wheelhouse, too. The average age is 34.9 as of 2018.
• Corona’s median household income is ~$80,000

Let’s talk Corona cannabis licensing brass tacks

Number of licenses available

• 12 for storefront retail or microbusiness with storefront retail
• Update: Corona’s storefront retail competitive application window opens on 4/19/2021 and closes on 5/18/2021
• First-come, first-serve for non-storefront retail, manufacturing, distribution, or testing. Operators must still apply and find property that’s correctly zoned for license.
• No cultivation
• 1 license per owner or financial interest holder

As you can see, non-storefront retail, manufacturing, distribution, testing are all  non-competitive applications. That doesn’t mean you just walk up to Corona municipal offices and ask for your free license, it just means that there’s not a scoring rubric. Corona also requires applicants to find properly designated property. These categories are first-come, first-serve.

Also, remember: limited or unlimited, local (and state) officials and regulators want qualified and experienced operators to secure licenses. Regulators want operators to succeed vs. taking licenses away.

Corona cannabis storefront licensing

Now about those 12 storefront licenses. Applicants are looking at a merit-based scoring system and application. The scoring system is on a scale with a maximum of 680 points, the criteria will include:

• Qualifications of Owners/Operators 150 Points
• Business Plan/Financial Investment 150 Points
• Operations Plan 130 Points
• Security Plan 130 Points
• Community Benefit 120 Points

If you’d like to learn more about Corona’s cannabis licensing opportunities for retail storefronts, are looking for assistance on their non-storefront retail, manufacturing, distribution categories or anything else email us today.