Los Angeles Priority Dispensary Applicants: No Changes Allowed

Prop M priority applicants need to sit tight — for now.We’ve received a lot of questions from existing City of L.A. dispensaries regarding whether or not they can make any corporate entity, location, or “ownership” changes before submitting their Prop M Priority Applications to the Department of Cannabis Regulation (DCR) pursuant to the Prop M ordinances. With MAUCRSA allowing for for-profit operations, many Prop. D dispensaries now desire to  leave behind the old “cooperative/collective” model and many want to leave their current locations for better digs. However, the DCR has made clear (at least to us based on our communications with them) that it likely will not honor or recognize those Prop. D dispensaries wanting to amend their business tax registration certificates (“BTRCs”) to reflect new corporate entities, “owners”, managers, or locations. Here is the rundown on key issues:
Converting to a For-Profit: MAUCRSA provides that commercial cannabis businesses can organize as for-profit companies. The issue Prop. D dispensaries are facing is that their past BTRCs (certain ones of which are necessary for priority processing under Measure M) will not match their new for-profit entities where most Prop. D dispensaries are already some form of non-profit. The DCR has relayed that it will most likely not accept your application if the new entity does not match entity listed on the relevant BTRC, and that it’s best wait until after City licensure to convert to a for-profit company.
Moving Locations: At this point, pretty much all cannabis businesses, especially retailers and deliveries, are hoping to capitalize on California’s robust tourist market and are seeking to open shops in high-traffic, popular areas. However, for Prop. D dispensaries, they’re likely going to have to wait on that real estate grab because of the BTRC issue–if you relocate before filing your Measure M application, and your new location fails to match the location listed on your old BTRCs, the DCR isn’t likely to recognize your City license application as valid. So, waiting to re-locate is probably wisest according to our communications with the DCR.
Ownership Changes: Lots of existing Prop. D dispensaries have had massive “ownership” and management disputes over their storefronts. Even more are looking to take on new owners or “sell” all of the business to new buyers looking to cash in on L.A. cannabis. However, just like changing entities and re-location, any changes to ownership that don’t match up with past BTRCs or manager disclosures probably won’t be recognized by the DCR.
Fear not, though: all of the above changes will be doable eventually, just probably not before the March 4th filing deadline for existing dispensaries.
We should note that the City has not made clear whether businesses will be able to make the foregoing changes while waiting for their actual City license (post receipt of Temporary Approval), after they are granted the City license, or upon renewal of that license. In turn, where City and state commercial cannabis licenses are not transferable, if existing L.A. dispensaries want to apply for their state temporary and/or annual licenses as for-profits with new owners, at new locations, they’re going to have to wait on the City of L.A. to acknowledge those moves, or they’ll face jumping through the same administrative hoops with the state.


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