BREAKING NEWS: California Will Begin Issuing Temporary Commercial Cannabis Licenses by January 1st

Yesterday, at the California Cannabis Business Conference in Anaheim (attended by our Southern California cannabis attorneys), the California Bureau of Cannabis Control (the “Bureau”) released information regarding temporary license applications under the Medicinal and Adult Use Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act (“MAUCRSA”), which we now know will start to issue on January 1, 2018–see the Bureau’s brochure on temporary licensing details here. The Bureau will likely begin accepting applications prior to that date, but no temporary license application will be effective before January 1, 2018. Additionally, the Bureau expects that the next round of draft (temporary) rules pursuant to MAUCRSA will issue sometime in mid to late November, coinciding with the release of the temporary license application.

A temporary license is a conditional license that will allow a business to engage in commercial cannabis activity for a period of up to 120 days (i.e., 4 months). Within that 120 day period, the business with a temporary license must apply for their full state license. If the operator is unable to finalize their state license within that period (through no fault of their own), the state will grant extensions to the temporary licensee until the full license is issued.

The requirements for obtaining a temporary license to engage in commercial cannabis activity are as follows:

1. Local jurisdiction authorization. Applicants must provide a copy of a valid license, permit, or other authorization to operate issued by the applicable local jurisdiction that allows the applicant to conduct commercial cannabis activity at their proposed location.
2. Name. Applicants must indicate the name of the individual(s) or business entity applying.
3. License type requested. Applicants must specify which of the license types (Distributor, Retailer, Manufacturer, Etc.) they are applying for.
4. License designation. Applicants must indicate whether they are applying for an adult use (A-license) or medicinal (M-license) license.
5. Contact information. Applicants must provide a designated primary contact including first and last name, title, address, phone number(s) and email address(es).
6. Owners. Applicants must provide the name, mailing address, and email address of each “owner” that meets the criteria of Business and Professions Code Section 26001 (i.e., you own 20% or more of the company, you’re the CEO, you’re a director on the board of a non-profit, or you exercise any direction, control, or management of the company).
7. Physical address. Applicants must provide the physical address of the location at which they intend to operate.
8. Authorization to use location. Applicants must provide a copy of the title or deed to the land where the proposed premises is located, or a document from the landowner, such as a lease agreement, stating that the applicant has the right to occupy the property and may use the property for commercial cannabis activity.
9. Premises diagram. Applicants must provide a diagram of the business’s layout at the proposed location.

It is important to note that local approval still reigns supreme–without the necessary city or county permits and/or licenses, applicants will not be able to obtain temporary or actual state licenses.

source http://www.cannalawblog.com/breaking-news-california-will-begin-issuing-temporary-commercial-cannabis-licenses-by-january-1st/