How to operate marijuana dispensary in California?
Marijuana is legal in California for both medicine and recreational use. This means that there is an incredible opportunity for businesses and startups to start their profitable project of cultivating, selling, and distributing marijuana products. Those businesses and owners who have got legal permission from the authorities for operating the marijuana business can start the marijuana dispensary in California. So what exactly is a marijuana dispensary and what does it mean? Let us have a look.
The marijuana industry involves a number of various regulated activities such as testing, cultivation, distribution, manufacturing, and dispensaries. The dispensary is essentially the eventual step in the supply chain which means it is the stage of delivering the product to the client or the customer. The marijuana dispensaries might include the retailers that have the storefront from where the customers purchase marijuana. The different types of activities associated with marijuana dispensaries have their own requirements of licensing.
Things to consider before opening the marijuana dispensary
The marijuana dispensaries, though are legal in the state of California, they are necessarily not allowed in all of the cities and counties. This is because these places have their own local regulations and if they want they can ban the sale and business of marijuana-based on their discretion. So before planning to start the opening of the dispensary you must check whether the business of marijuana is legal in that specific area or not.
If the marijuana business and dispensaries are legal then you would need to obtain the license from the relevant authorities. The process of obtaining the license is very elaborate and you must check out your local county or town for the same and following the zoning laws which are specific to that region. There are some counties and cities that only allow limited licenses or only allow the dispensaries in specific regions or locations.
One universal rule that California has imposed state-wide is prohibiting the opening of marijuana dispensary within a 600-foot radius of the daycare center, youth center, or school. So you must check out the licensing requirements in your location and follow the guidelines that are prevalent there locally. It is worth noting here that unlicensed or illegal dispensaries is a punishable crime and it will bar you from opening a legal marijuana dispensary in the future. You might also be punished with criminal charges that include jail for 6 months and a fine of $500.
If you find the procedures related to the obtaining of the license and the documentation involved a bit complex then you can hire the services of a lawyer and other professionals who will take care of the logistical business for you. You must also study and analyze the market for marijuana in the specific location where you want to start the dispensary. The financial viability and compatibility are very significant in the eventual success of any business model.
These are some of the standard practices and stuff you must take care of before starting the marijuana dispensary.