An Oakland Lawyer Is Indispensable When Opening a Cannabis Business
The days of struggle are gone and interested individuals can now start their own cannabis business in Oakland, California. While the Adult Use of Marijuana Act (AUMA) already allowed people to use marijuana personally, people who were interested in starting their marijuana businesses had to wait until January 1, 2018 before they could sell it legally. Medical and Adult Use of Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act, abbreviated to MAUCRSA, contains the regulations that govern the licensing process of cannabis businesses. Those who want to start theirs in Oakland should consider hiring an Oakland marijuana lawyer to complete the process smoothly.
The Important Considerations When Starting a Cannabis Business in Oakland
It is highly recommendable for anyone interested in starting such a businesses to know the many terms and conditions that apply to them.
The Business Location
The first law you have to know entails your business’ location. Your cannabis business must not be within 600 feet of a K-12 school. In addition to that, you have to main the same 600-ft distance from other dispensaries in the area and youth centers. It is imperative that you realize how Oakland will measure that distance. In this particular case, the city will calculate the distance based on the path of travel. You will also have to have official documents to prove your occupation of the space before you open the business.
The Fee and the Permit
Next, you will complete the permit application form and submit it to the city of Oakland. Other important submissions include the following:
- A complete security plan
- A secure floor plan
- Information on Energy Star
- Business registration documents
- Occupation documents
- Plan for mitigation of odor
- Plan for beautifying the community
- $2,474 application fee
The Ten Sign-offs
That’s where things can get a bit difficult for you. At this point, you will receive a permit inspection card from the City Manager’s Office that requires you to visit ten different departments and get signatures. Depending on the type of cannabis business you do e.g. cultivation, extraction, etc. you might or might not have to get all the signatures. Here are the names of the offices from where you will get the signatures.
- Revenue management bureau
- Alameda County Agriculture
- Alameda County Environmental Health
- Oakland Building Services (Building)
- Oakland Building Services (Electrical)
- Oakland Building Services (Plumbing)
- Oakland Planning/Zoning
- Easy Bay Municipal Utility District
- Fire Prevention Bureau
- Port of Oakland
Be sure to check the details of which sign-offs your business will require.
The Equity Permit Program
The equity program can be quite confusing for most people looking to start their cannabis businesses in Oakland. Only a handful of the businesses can obtain the permit as equity-eligible whereas others have to find different routes. Businesses will have to choose to be equity incubator or equity eligible. The third and last option for businesses is to be patient until these restrictions go away. There is no timeframe on when the restrictions will be removed.
If you have read all the information carefully, you realize at this point that it is still not a smooth ride for anyone who wants to start a marijuana business in Oakland today. With so many controversial regulations and processes to complete, it only makes sense for you to have a marijuana lawyer in Oakland on your side throughout the process. Contact Earl Jiang at 866-263-7866 before you initiate the licensing process for your marijuana business.