A Time of Renewal

[dropcap class=”kp-dropcap”]L[/dropcap]egal cannabis commercial activity is just beginning to materialize in unincorporated areas of Riverside County. The permitting process is beginning to unfold, and it affects up to 69 districts which represent 191 cities, including idyllic outdoor areas such as Gilman Hot Springs, North Palm Springs, Alberhill and Desert Beach.

For years, pockets of land that fall under the jurisdiction of the county government, such as Lakeland Village, were home to dozens of “gray area” dispensaries with varying levels of success. But in recent years, Riverside County Code Enforcement has shut most of the dispensary clusters down. The longtime ban on cannabis operations in Riverside County was finally lifted last year, after a close 3-2 vote on Oct. 23, 2018, providing a legal pathway for dispensaries and other types of cannabis-related businesses.

Beginning on Dec. 26, 2018, Riverside County officials began accepting applications for distribution, manufacturing, testing and wholesale nursery facility licenses within the unincorporated areas of the county. Cultivation and retail business applications, however, are currently on hold as of late-January, but are being ironed out under the county’s Board of Supervisors. Those types of permits could become available in a matter of months.

First, applicants must submit a conditional use permit (CUP) in order to be eligible to apply for a permanent permit. Secondly, they must acquire the appropriate state licenses. The initial deposit for a CUP review is $9,646.14, and then applicants must pay $471 for an environmental review. The application process is still in development, but 19 retail permits and 50 cultivation permits will be available in 2019.

Brooke Federico is senior public information specialist with the County of Riverside’s Emergency Management Department. “The policy up for review is regarding development agreements and the request for proposal process for commercial cannabis activities, including both cultivation and retail sales,” Federico told CULTURE. “The process that the Board will provide input on, requires that all businesses interested in obtaining a conditional use permit for either retail sales or cultivation of commercial cannabis must pre-register online subsequent to approval from the Board. Interested parties will then be invited to informational meetings regarding the request of proposals process.”

Permit applicants must also obtain a development agreement with the Board of Supervisors, after they have been cleared by the Planning Commission. Then, both the commission and board will host a public hearing before finally granting approval.

“The policy up for review is regarding development agreements and the request for proposal process for commercial cannabis activities, including both cultivation and retail sales.”

If the applicant’s proposed operation location is not located within an approved land-use zone, a change of zone application also will have to be filed, which creates more costs. A change in zone requires a minimum deposit of $3,648.54. Appropriate land-use zones are different for nurseries, manufacturing facilities, testing facilities and distribution facilities.

The Riverside County Code Enforcement Department, which operates out of Murrieta, is responsible for the enforcement of illegal dispensaries in unincorporated areas of Riverside County. The responses to request for proposals could begin as early as February.

There is a great deal of potential in the county that borders Orange County, San Bernardino County, Imperial County and San Diego County. It’s an optimal time for the county to finally embrace cannabis businesses in the way that Los Angeles County and other major areas in Southern California are in the process of completing.