Another group of frustrated social equity marijuana applicants filed a lawsuit against Los Angeles.
In this suit, eight companies and individuals – led by Angel City Partners – contend business applications they filed in September 2019 for social equity retail storefront licenses were for some reason ignored.
According to Law360, the lawsuit – filed Oct. 30 in L.A. County Superior Court – alleges that some marijuana companies received help from city staff.
The suit requests that:
- An emergency injunction be granted to halt all license processing until the case is resolved.
- The entire licensing results from last fall be thrown out and redone if the plaintiffs’ business license applications aren’t given due consideration.
Such moves could result in further delays for L.A. cannabis stakeholders hoping to open new companies in the city.
This is at least the fourth lawsuit filed in the past year over L.A.’s marijuana licensing program.
An April suit, also filed by jilted social equity applicants, resulted in a settlement and an increase in the number of storefront permits from 100 to 200.
A lawsuit filed in September seeks redress over the same storefront licensing window from 2019.
And a suit filed in early October seeks to overturn a city ordinance that reserves all marijuana delivery permits for social equity applicants until 2025.