The legal status provided to marijuana in the state of California means that business owners, entrepreneurs, and individuals can now open marijuana dispensaries in the state through legal sanctions and permits. California was one of the first states in the US to legalize the use of marijuana for medical purposes and the state has been at the forefront in its campaign to legalize marijuana for recreational use. The legalization has provided an excellent platform for people to start the marijuana business in the state and conduct its operation under legal and official regulations as well as control. 

Any individual who wants to start a marijuana dispensary in California must submit an application with the governing authorities for obtaining the license which grants permission to start the marijuana dispensaries in California. The process for obtaining the license goes through different stages where submit the application forms and legal documents after which your application is reviewed and inspection is done. Finally, if the state is convinced that your business model is legitimate and safe for operation it is given the green signal to begin its operation.

Licensing and permits

California has granted licenses to more than 10,000 cannabis operators and that includes manufacturers, cultivators, distributors, retailers, businesses, micro-businesses, and event organizers amongst other groups. If you want to start marijuana dispensary business operations then the first step involves obtaining the necessary licenses and permits from the bureau of cannabis control in California. The bureau of cannabis control in California is the agency that is responsible for regulating the business of marijuana in the state. The agency is responsible for handing out the licenses for distributors, retailers, micro-businesses, testing labs, and the temporary events of Cannabis in the state. If you want to submit an application for the license then you must do so through the online portal provided by the agency for applications.

When it comes to the process of permits every county and city in California has got different regulations for opening a marijuana dispensary. These regulations are often more complicated and complex than the opening of regular business in the state. You have to go through the various rounds of the applications, hearings, fees, and opportunities for the community input. You might be required to furnish detailed information at the time of the application process. Some of these requirements might be as follows.

Letter of zoning verification: You might be required to obtain the letter from the local department of development which verifies that the location of your prospective marijuana dispensary complies with the required zoning laws. 

Criminal history check and live scanning: Every individual who wants to apply for the marijuana dispensary license in the state must agree to the live scanning of their fingerprints and participating in the criminal background check. If any individual has got a criminal background then their application might be rejected depending on the different circumstances. 

Besides this, you might also need to submit the business plans, security and safety plans, neighborhood and community assessment, and pay hefty fees.