The City of Los Angeles’s Department of Cannabis Regulation has announced that it will begin accepting applications for cannabis delivery, distribution, non-volatile manufacturing and testing lab licenses on Tuesday, October 20, 2020 at 2:00 pm.

Los Angeles cannabis delivery applications available only to previously verified social equity applicants initially

Notably, delivery license applications will only be available to “previously verified social equity applicants initially,” per the DCR’s public notice. The move is in line with the Department’s updated ordinance from earlier this summer which stipulated that all retail and delivery licenses in Los Angeles would be for verified social equity applicants until 2025.

For would-be applicants concerned about qualifying as a social equity applicant, the DCR goes on to explain:

Information regarding how to be verified as a Social Equity Individual Applicant under the expanded eligibility verification criteria, pursuant to LAMC Section 104.20(b) will be provided at a later date this calendar year. Upon verification, eligible Applicants will be able to submit commercial cannabis license applications for delivery, as this processing period is indefinite.

So that’s good. All other license categories in this application round are open and available to anyone who is eligible. However, as a reminder, all applicants must first complete DCR’s Pre-Application Review process.

For Los Angeles, the decision should come as no surprise as the city remained steadfast in its effort to create opportunities for the licensed cannabis market to flourish, while also making the industry more inclusive and socially equitable for communities in LA most adversely impacted by the war on drugs. Additionally, the application notice from Los Angeles comes on the heels of Governor Gavin Newsom signing numerous cannabis bills into California state law last week.

If you are considering applying for any of these license categories and have questions about qualifying as social equity or have questions about eligibility for other license categories, contact MMLG today.