Pomona To Start Accepting Commercial Cannabis Permit Applications on March 17, 2020

The City of Pomona has officially provided updated information about the local permitting process that will open next week. While application forms have not become available quite yet, the City asserts that application forms will be available via the City’s website no later than Tuesday, March 17, 2020, which is also the first day that applications submissions will be accepted.

City of Pomona’s Commercial Cannabis Permit Implementation Guide

Ahead of releasing application packets, the City released its Commercial Cannabis Permit Implementation Guide which details, among other things

1. the permitting process itself
2. what documents and written plans need to be included in the application packets,
3. how applications will be scored, and
4. how the recipients of the eight (8) available licenses will be selected.

While the Implementation Guide may be amended by the City at any time, it is a great resource for those looking to submit applications for commercial cannabis business permits in the City.  

As way of background, the City of Pomona plans to issue a total of eight (8) commercial cannabis permits at this time, including two (2) storefront retail permits, two (2) microbusiness permits, and four (4) permits in any combination of manufacturing, testing, or indoor cultivation. Each permit issued will be for both medical and adult-use cannabis operations.

The application submission window for all commercial cannabis permit applications for the City of Pomona is from March 17, 2020 to April 20, 2020 at 6:00 pm.

Steps to a Successful Cannabis Permit Application and Evaluation Criteria

The basic steps associated with the application submission process are as follows:

1. Identify what permit type you want to apply for;
2. Confirm that the location you want to operate in is permit eligible;
3. Complete the required electronic background check(s);
4. Submit your application by April 20, 2020.

After the application window closes, the following things will occur:

1. A third party will evaluate all applications;
2. Finalist (applicants scoring at least 800/1000 points) and rejection letters will be sent by the City;
3. Finalists will participate in public meetings about their proposed projects;
4. The city will evaluate the finalists based on their performance at the aforementioned public meetings;
5. The city will awards permits to the highest scoring finalists in each permit type category.

Submitting A Commercial Cannabis Zoning Verification Form

To determine if your proposed operating location is permit eligible, check out the City’s Cannabis Overlay GIS map. Also – don’t forget that you are required to submit a zoning verification as a part of your application (See Step #2 of the Implementation Guide). To do this, you applicant must submit a Commercial Cannabis Zoning Verification form to the City. Due to the ongoing public health crisis related to COVID-19 (Coronavirus), the City will only accept submissions of the Commercial Cannabis Zoning Verification form via email. You can email the form to cannabis@ci.pomona.ca.us.

You must submit the Commercial Cannabis Zoning Verification form NO LATER than April 13, 2020 to allow sufficient time for the City to review it and the property listed on the form. Responses to each verification request will be issued within three business days of the submission. Given that no application will be accepted or approved without proof that the subject property has been successfully verified by the City, we encourage you to submit the Commercial Cannabis Zoning Verification form as soon as possible.

City of Pomona’s Cannabis Permitting Workshops

The City is offering permitting workshops for potential applicants. In light of the COVID-19 outbreak, the next cannabis permitting workshop will take place virtually and streamed on the City of Pomona website, similar to its City Council meetings on Thursday, March 19, 2020 at 6PM.

You can also access the materials from the first cannabis permitting workshop held by the City of Pomona on March 10, 2020 below:

• Audio of Cannabis Permitting Workshop #1 (starts at 2:30, ends at 56:30)
• Presentation Slides from Cannabis Permitting Workshop #1 (any corrections are found in red)

Previous Updates About Pomona

You can also refer to our previous updates for any background information about the permitting process:

If you have any questions about Pomona’s commercial cannabis permitting process, the cannabis permitting and licensing attorneys at Rogoway Law Group are ready to assist you! Call (323) 202-2980 today or contact us through our website to schedule a consultation.