Oakland sorting through 255 marijuana business applications

Be at the forefront of cannabis and psychedelics science and innovation. Register by March 14 & Save $100 on tickets to The Emerald Conference by MJBiz Science, April 1-3 in San Diego.


Marijuana regulators in Oakland, California, have received 255 business license applications for cannabis cultivation, sales, distribution and transportation, another indicator of the huge interest the Golden State’s impending market is generating.

California’s new regulated market goes online Jan. 1 in the cities and counties that allow it.

Oakland has long been a proponent of regulated marijuana and could lead the way for the state’s legal rollout.

Here’s what you need to know, according to the San Francisco Chronicle:

  • 78 of the applications are for indoor grow operations.
  • 55 applications are for delivery businesses.
  • The city plans to approve a handful of applicants by Jan. 1. Others can apply for a temporary state license.
  • Oakland has already approved licenses for the eight retail marijuana shops that were grandfathered in under the previous medical cannabis law. However, those eight businesses still must obtain a state license.
  • The city plans to double its retail marijuana stores to 16 by the spring.