Breaking News: L.A. Identifies Phase 3 Retail License Undue Concentration Numbers

On April 10, 2019, the Los Angeles Department of Cannabis Regulation (or “DCR”), the local department that oversees cannabis operators, sent an email blast regarding its newly re-designed website. One of the many new features is an interactive city licensing map, which breaks down each individual neighborhood in the City of Angels for retail operations.

The interactive map allows users to hover over each neighborhood in the City of L.A. and see how many retail licenses may be issued, how many have been authorized, and how many are available. This is a big gift for phase 3 applicants who are still trying to determine where to apply (but remember, those retail licenses are basically going to social equity applicants).

The interactive map also has a “layered” feature (the box which has three square shapes over one another), which allows users to see pending applications and locally authorized businesses in each neighborhood. For each pending application, users can see what that application is still pending: for some, there have been address changes, others have been denied and appealed, some show ownership disputes. This feature is also likely beneficial for potential phase 3 applicants to determine which zones are best to apply in.

We still need to wait and see what the map looks like for non-retail stores. We don’t have any indications as to when that will happen just yet. Stay tuned to the Canna Law Blog for more L.A. cannabis updates.