Contra Costa Cannabis Update

POSTED BY MARGOLIN & LAWRENCE ON JANUARY 2, 2019

In November, a measure to tax and regulate cannabis businesses in Contra Costa County was approved by more than 72 percent of the county’s voters. Given that the election indicated overwhelming local approval for legal cannabis, the county has been moving toward finalizing its cannabis regulations, focusing on the county’s land use restrictions for cannabis businesses and its application process for potential cannabis operators. In December, the county’s Board of Supervisors met to discuss these issues in an open hearing. As of January, here’s where the county stands on the two matters.
Land Use Restrictions
Contra Costa currently plans to limit the number of permits granted for certain commercial cannabis activities. The proposed restrictions are as follows:
4 Permits for Storefront Retail
10 Permits for Cultivation
2 Permits for Manufacturing in Agricultural Zoning Districts
The county has provided an interactive online map allowing prospective applicants to look up a property in order to determine its eligibility for a given cannabis activity, as well as which permits will be required to do business.
A complete list of permits that may be required for a specific property/activity, including health and water use requirements, can be found on the county’s Commercial Cannabis Permitting website.
Application Process
The Contra Costa Board of Supervisors released a preliminary draft of the county’s Request for Proposals (RFP) form. Designed as an invitation for cannabis business applicants, the RFP lays out the Contra Costa cannabis licensing process for the numerically-limited activities listed above.
First, applicants will submit a Letter of Intent (LOI) containing the basic information about their proposed business. The LOIs will be reviewed by the county, which will invite some businesses to submit full proposals. These proposals will make up the main part of the application, including complete descriptions of the prospective operation and the applicant’s qualifications.
Once an applicant’s proposal has been reviewed and selected by the county, the business will be eligible for a Land Use Permit for their commercial cannabis activity. Permits for non-numerically-limited commercial cannabis activities, on the other hand, can be applied through directly through the county’s Land Use Permit process, without the added LOI/RFP requirement.
The county currently plans to release its final RFP form on January 24, with LOIs due by February 14, proposals due by April 18, and permit eligibility granted in June/July. However, the terms of the RFP, including these estimated dates, are still subject to change. The application process, including the RFP, will be revised and brought before the Board of Supervisors again on January 22.

Go to Source