Some Cannabis Businesses Aren’t Waiting for West Hollywood (or State) Licenses

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A Weedmaps map of cannabis delivery services (car icon) and recreational and medical cannabis vendors (leaf icon) in and near West Hollywood

The City of West Hollywood yesterday released the draft of an application form and criteria that will be used to determine who will receive the 40 cannabis business-related licenses required to operate shops offering medical and recreational cannabis, lounges where cannabis can be consumed and cannabis delivery services. Currently there are only four licensed medical dispensaries in WeHo, each of which has a temporary recreational cannabis license.

But it seems some operators have moved right ahead without such licenses.

WEHOville reported on Monday that Jadore, a cigar and tobacco retailer at 8741 Santa Monica Blvd. near Hancock was selling cannabis products without a license, which the city’s Code Compliance Division has investigated. Now KCET has published a map with data from the California Bureau of Cannabis Control that shows the locations of more than 1,000 cannabis businesses in California that have received “cease and desist” letters as of March 27 for operating without a state license. Two of those are in West Hollywood. The map doesn’t included the recently identified Jadore.

One of the businesses on the map is Herb Delivery, a cannabis delivery program whose website says it serves downtown Los Angeles, Echo Park, Silver Lake, Koreatown, Hollywood, Westwood, Santa Monica, Venice and surrounding areas. The map does not give an address for Herb Delivery but it appears to be on Fairfax Avenue just south of Santa Monica Boulevard.

Also on the map is Exhale Store and Delivery, which has a “showroom” at 980 North La Cienega Blvd. where it exhibits the cannabis products it delivers. (The map defines its location as Los Angeles but Exhale’s website says it is located in West Hollywood.)

Weedmaps, a website that shows locations of cannabis shops, delivery services and doctors who prescribe medical cannabis, shows several unlicensed delivery services in West Hollywood such as Sequoia Wellness Delivery, VIP LA, Hang10 Collective and the Private Reserve.  Weedmaps itself is under attack from the state Cannabis Control Bureau, which has argued that it is illegal for it to show the locations and contact information of unlicensed cannabis businesses.

In addition to the businesses on the Cannabis Bureau map, Lord Jones, a vendor of upscale cannabis products such as Delta 8 THC gummies, has announced that the Standard Hollywood, located in West Hollywood at 8300 Sunset Blvd., will begin offering CBD (cannabidiol) gummies along with liquor in the mini-bars in its guest rooms on April 10. CBD does not have the psychoactive effects THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) and is known for its ability to relieve pain and make one relax.

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The Standard and Lord Jones also have declared that Lord Jones will open a cannabis shop at the Standard, despite the fact that the license application process has yet to begin.

The rapid opening of unlicensed cannabis-related businesses is likely to add to the work of the city’s Code Compliance Division, which already has been burdened with enforcing the city’s law banning short-term rentals through platforms such as Airbnb of WeHo apartments.

WeHo’s four licensed medical cannabis dispensaries will have to apply for permanent licenses to sell medical cannabis, pet CBD products and, if they want to continue, recreational cannabis. The city expects to begin accepting applications for  cannabis-related business on May 2 with a deadline of May 31.   No businesses can obtain a state license without having received city permission, which is contingent on finally receiving a state license.

The currently licensed dispensaries are Alternative Herbal Health Services at 7828 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles Patients & Caregivers Group at 7213 Santa Monica Blvd. , MedMen WeHo at 8208 Santa Monica Blvd. and Zen Healing at 8464 Santa Monica Blvd.

The California Cannabis Bureau is issuing free temporary licenses that don’t require application fees. Temporary licenses last for 120 days and may be extended by the bureau for 90 days.

The KCET story notes that the Bureau has been scanning online platforms such as Weedmaps to identify cannabis businesses that are not licensed.

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Unabis
2 years ago

I agree entirely with what you’ve said. Knee pain sufferers should give CBD cream a try. This page has some great examples and helpful hints. Knee pain sufferers may get relief from inflammation and discomfort with CBD lotions. While CBD creams may help with pain relief to some extent, a patient should see a doctor to discover the source of their pain and obtain proper therapy.

Joshua88
Joshua88
6 years ago

Horns of a dilemma.

As long as these are small businesses and not corporate interests, I say…