Cannabis/Marijuana

Latest Update (12/04/19):

The City Manager has established new rules for non-storefront retail (manufacturing, distribution, delivery-only retail, cultivation, laboratory testing) cannabis business permit applicants who applied between April 9, 2018 and May 9, 2018(PDF, 124KB).  The rules pertain to those applicants who are seeking a new location, applicants who have not yet filed a building permit application, applicants who have applied for a building permit application but are still in plan check, and applicants for whom a building permit has been issued.

Retail Storefront (Dispensary) Cannabis Business Permitting Status:

The City of Culver City has completed Step 1(b) of the storefront retail cannabis business permit application process(PDF, 348KB). Three applicants have been approved to move forward in the application process:

Malibu Green, LLC
DBA SweetFlower Culver, LLC
10000 Culver Blvd.

TGS CC Ventures, LLC 
DBA Green Solution
3800 Sepulveda Blvd.

Essence CC, LLC
DBA Essence Cannabis Dispensary
12450 Washington Blvd.

All other applications are now on-hold pending the outcome of the permitting process. A maximum of three storefront retail cannabis business permits are allowed in Culver City. The status of each applicant is available below.

The next step is for the three approved applicants to apply for a Conditional Use Permit from the City. Applicants were required to hold at least one public meeting, which were held during Fall 2019. Please sign-up for cannabis email updates from the City to be notified about other updates about the cannabis permitting process.

Retail Storefront Business Application Period

The acceptance period for retail storefront cannabis businesses closed on September 27, 2018 at 5:00 p.m. 

The City received twenty-three (23) applications for up to three cannabis storefront retailer permits. It is expected to take 9-12 months for the final permit(s) to be awarded, including an estimated 6 months for the required conditional use permit process.

If you are an Applicant or a Responsible Person affiliated with an application, you will find a link to the online registration portal and associated documents, below. 

List of Storefront Retail Applicants and Addresses as of September 28, 2018

This is not a list of locations that have been approved for storefront retail. This is a list of locations where an application for a storefront retail cannabis business was submitted to the City. Only a maximum of three storefront retail permits will be issued. A conditional use permit process, including several public meetings, are required to take place before any permits are issued. It is expected that storefront retail businesses would receive final permits in late 2019/early 2020. The status of each applicant will be updated as the application process proceeds.

If you are an existing sensitive receptor or know of a possible existing sensitive receptor within 600 feet of any of these addresses, please contact Culver City Cannabis Permitting or call (310) 253-5897.  If you are a new business, please note that cannabis storefront retail businesses are only prohibited from locating within 600 feet of sensitive receptors that were in existence at the time the cannabis business permit was accepted by the City.

City Council Modification of Commercial Cannabis Ordinance

On September 24, 2018, the City Council approved an Urgency Ordinance amending Section 11.17.115(A)(5)(a) of Chapter 11.17 of the Culver City Municipal Code (CCMC) clarifying when a sensitive receptor is considered in existence for the purposes of storefront retail cannabis business permitting. The Urgency Ordinance was necessary in order to protect sensitive receptor businesses as well as provide fairness to cannabis business permit applicants.

Cannabis Business Regulations

All cannabis businesses in Culver City are required to obtain a City cannabis business permit in order to legally operate.

Types of Permitted Cannabis Businesses

The following business types are allowed (both medicinal and adult-use) with a City permit:

• Storefront Retail
• Delivery Only Retail (“Home Delivery”)
• Manufacturing
• Distribution
• Laboratory Testing
• Indoor commercial cultivation

The following business types are prohibited:

• Commercial outdoor cultivation
• Commercial mixed-light cultivation

Businesses are allowed to apply for and receive permits in multiple business categories (eg manufacturer/distributer), as long as they meet all the requirements of each category and are located in the appropriate zone.

Maximum Number of Permits Issued

The City will issue a limited number of permits in each category:

^ADelivery permits issued to a storefront retail cannabis business will not count towards this maximum number of delivery-only permits.

^BDistribution and/or delivery permits issued to a manufacturing permit holder (pertaining to its manufacturing business and on the same property) will not count towards the maximum number of distribution or delivery-only permits allowed.

During the initial application period, should more qualified applicants apply for a commercial cannabis business permit than the maximum number of permits allowed for Manufacturing, Distribution, Cultivation, Delivery-only Retail, or Testing (subject to comments A and B, above), the City Manager will implement a lottery or another approach (not first-come-first-served) to determine which applicants receive a permit.

The City will award up to three storefront retail cannabis business permits through a competitive, multi-phased, merit-based process, with the City Council ultimately approving the awarding of the permit. A conditional use permit will also be required for storefront retail cannabis businesses.

Storefront Retail Cannabis Business Permit Forms and Information

The acceptance period for retail storefront cannabis businesses closed on September 27, 2018 at 5:00 p.m. Applicants and affiliated Responsible Persons can access information about their application and submit required documents through the City's online portal. Permit application forms and instructions for preparing required application attachments are posted below.

Please read all of the below documents before beginning the process.

• Important Update for Storefront Retail Cannabis Business Permit Applicants (9/20/18)(PDF, 95KB)
• Application and Selection Process for Storefront Retail Businesses(PDF, 348KB)
• Application Online Portal
• Application Attachment Instructions(PDF, 480KB)  (**Please note that as of 7/23, some of the attachment document names shown in the online portal do not match the document names in these Application Attachment Instructions. The documents called for in the Application Attachment Instructions are the correct required documents. We are working to resolve this issue. In the meantime, please do not upload documents to the online portal.)
• Zoning and Parking Form(PDF, 422KB)
• Property Owner Consent Form(PDF, 339KB)
• Indemnification Agreement(PDF, 282KB)
• Insurance Requirements(PDF, 205KB)
• Cannabis Waste Plan Information(PDF, 829KB)
• Signed Statement Form(PDF, 348KB)
• Responsible Person Information Form(PDF, 419KB)
• Live Scan Instructions(PDF, 204KB)
• Request for Live Scan Service Form(PDF, 63KB)
• Criminal Background Check Guidelines(PDF, 300KB)
• Fee List(PDF, 380KB)
• Appeal Procedure under Step (1), Step 1(a) and Step 1(b) of the City Cannabis Business Permit Application Process: Storefront(PDF, 102KB)

Cannabis Business Permits for Manufacturing, Distribution, Cultivation, Laboratory Testing, and Delivery-only Retail Businesses

The application period for manufacturing, distribution, cultivation, laboratory testing, and delivery-only retail businesses closed on May 9, 2018. No additional applications are being accepted at this time.

Additional Rules Regarding Deadlines for Applicants for Non-Storefront Retail Cannabis Business Permits Who Submitted Applications Between April 9, 2018 and May 9, 2018(PDF, 124KB)  (Published December 4, 2019)

Cannabis Permit Annual Renewal: Instructions(PDF, 253KB)

Cannabis Permit Annual Renewal: Primary Applicant Representative Signed Statement Form(PDF, 206KB)

Cannabis Permit Annual Renewal Responsible Person Signature Form v092319(PDF, 192KB)

Restrictions on Operating Hours

Cannabis businesses are limited to the following limits on operating hours:

• Cannabis retail storefronts may only be open for business between 8:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m.

• Cannabis deliveries by delivery-only retailers must take place between 8:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. 

• There are no specific restrictions on the operating hours of other types of cannabis businesses, except they will be subject to operating hours restrictions as non-cannabis businesses of the same type.

Zoning and Distancing Information

Cannabis businesses operating with a city cannabis business permit are allowed within the following Culver City zones:

Manufacturers, distributors, cultivators, laboratory testers, and delivery-only retailers have no distancing requirements, as long as they are located in the appropriate zone.

Zoning Map

The Culver City Zoning Map shows the location of the City's various zones(PDF, 2MB) .

Special Distancing Requirements for Storefront Retail Businesses

In addition to being located in the appropriate zone, storefront retail cannabis businesses must be located:

• At least 600 feet from sensitive receptors, including:

  • K-12 schools

  • Day care centers (includes pre-schools)

  • Youth centers

  • Parks

  • Playgrounds

• At least 1000 feet from another cannabis retail storefront business

• Not on corner lots next to residential zones, subject to the exceptions described below.

The City prohibits operation of a cannabis storefront retail business within 600 feet of “sensitive receptors” that were in existence at the time that the commercial cannabis business permit application was received by the City (in most cases on September 27, 2018). A sensitive receptor business will not prevent a cannabis storefront retail business from opening within 600 feet if the sensitive receptor business comes into existence at the specific location after the City receives the cannabis business’ permit application.  However, new sensitive receptor businesses coming into existence after the City receives the cannabis business’ permit application are not prohibited from locating within 600 feet of a cannabis retail storefront business.

Sensitive Receptors

Sensitive receptors are defined as follows:

• Day Care Centers (defined in California Health & Safety Code Section 1596.76)

• Youth Centers (defined in California Health & Safety Code Section 11353.1)
  • "Youth center" means any public or private facility that is primarily used to host recreational or social activities for minors, including, but not limited to, private youth membership organizations or clubs, social service teenage club facilities, video arcades, or similar amusement park facilities.
  • "Primarily used to host recreational or social activities for minors" means more than 50% of the onsite activities are oriented towards children under the age of 18. This could include, but is not limited to, martial arts studios, dance studios, gymnastics studios, indoor playgrounds, birthday party facilities, art studios, children's activity centers, tutoring centers, etc.

Sensitive Receptor Map

Locations that may meet the zoning and 600 foot distancing requirements for retail storefront cannabis businesses are shown in green and blue on this map (Note that this map has not been updated to account for new prohibitions on corner parcels adjacent to residential streets).(PDF, 2MB)

Important Notice: The green and blue parcels shown on the map may be eligible for cannabis retail storefronts. The red parcels may be ineligible. Although the City strives to provide the best information it can, this map is provided for informational and preliminary planning purposes only. The City makes no claims, representations, or warranties (expressed or implied) concerning the validity, reliability, or accuracy of information depicted on this map. The City cannot guarantee the currency of information contained in this map, and decisions regarding the purchase or lease of real property for the purpose of operating a cannabis business should not be based upon information depicted on this map or the data displayed. The City will not approve applications or permits based solely on the GIS data displayed in this map or any subset thereof. Actual field conditions will determine whether or not a cannabis business is located in conformance with applicable laws. All information and data on this map is subject to change without notice.

Sensitive Receptors Identified Subsequent to Publishing of Map (Updated 9/4/18)

Additional sensitive receptors may have been identified subsequent to the publishing of this list and the map. Please send any information on additional sensitive receptors that may not be reflected on the map or this list to cannabis.permit@culvercity.org .

More detailed information about location requirements is contained in the Culver City Municipal Code, Chapter 11.17 and Title 17: Zoning Code. 

Sensitive Receptor Frequently Asked Questions

What is a “sensitive receptor”? “Sensitive receptor” means K-12 schools, day care centers, pre-schools, parks, playgrounds, and “youth centers”.

What is a “youth center”? “Youth center” means any means any public or private facility that is primarily used to host recreational or social activities for minors, including, but not limited to, private youth membership organizations or clubs, social service teenage club facilities, video arcades, or similar amusement park facilities. "Primarily used to host recreational or social activities for minors" means more than 50% of the onsite activities are oriented towards children under the age of 18. This could include, but is not limited to, martial arts studios, dance studios, gymnastics studios, indoor playgrounds, birthday party facilities, art studios, children's activity centers, tutoring centers, etc.

How does the City determine if a sensitive receptor is “in existence”? One or more of the following factors may be considered by the City to determine if the sensitive receptor was in existence at the time of the City’s receipt of the commercial cannabis storefront retail permit application: (1) The sensitive receptor is open and operating; (2) The sensitive receptor has a Culver City Business Tax Certificate for the specific location and sensitive use; (3) The sensitive receptor has submitted a business tax certificate application to the City for the specific location and sensitive use and is undergoing construction or other tenant improvements at the specific location in question; and (4) Other factors that may indicate a sensitive receptor was in existence as determined by the City Manager.

Residential Corner Prohibition

Storefront retail cannabis businesses are also prohibited from corner parcels adjacent to residential neighborhoods, except when the residential neighborhood is in Los Angeles, and/or if the building's exterior wall is more than 45 feet from the property line of the closest residentially zoned property.

Operating Requirements

Operating requirements for cannabis businesses can be found in the Culver City Municipal Code, Chapter 11.17.

Public Health Requirements

Cannabis businesses are also subject to specific public health requirements.

Personal Cultivation

State law permits the indoor personal cultivation of up to six cannabis plants per residence. The Culver City Municipal Code further regulates personal cultivation of cannabis.  See 17.210.015(B).

Highlights of Culver City’s personal cultivation regulations:

• Personal cultivation must take place within a residence, or within a fully enclosed and secured structure. This goes a step further than the State law by requiring that plants not simply be behind a locked gate, but in an enclosed structure in the back yard (e.g. a greenhouse), in order to address both odor and security concerns.

• The owner of the property must consent (i.e. renters must get the owner’s permission).

• Lighting must remain below 1200 watts, for the purposes of safety.

• Gas products cannot be used, for the purposes of safety.

• Personal cultivation cannot occur in a home’s kitchen, bathroom, or primary bedrooms.

• Any adverse impacts must be mitigated so that it does not become a public nuisance (e.g. odor).

Cannabis Business Tax

At the April 10, 2018 municipal election ballot, Culver City voters approved Measure A, a cannabis business tax.  The initial and maximum rates approved by voters:

• Retail (medicinal): range of 5 -8% with an initial rate of 5%
• Retail (adult-use): range of 6-10% with an initial rate of 6%
• Manufacturing: range of 4-6% with an initial rate of 4%
• Distribution: range of 2-6% with an initial rate of 2%
• Testing: 1-1.5% with an initial rate of 1%
• Cultivation: $12 per square foot of canopy

The initial rates will be in place for two years, after which they will be able to be adjusted by City Council resolution. Cultivation rates are to be adjusted according to the consumer price index after a two year initial period.

Cannabis businesses are also subject to Culver City's Business Tax. 

Environmental Determination

On November 27, 2017, after public discussion and deliberation, the City Council adopted a Negative Declaration based on an Initial Study, pursuant to California Environmental Quality Act Guidelines, that determined that the amendments to the Municipal Code addressing cannabis activities show no substantial evidence that the project may have a significant effect on the environment.

Culver City Cannabis Notice of Determination(PDF, 349KB)

Culver City Cannabis Initial Study and Negative Declaration(PDF, 25MB)  

Timeline of City Council’s Adoption of Regulations

 December 11, 2017

• (PDF, 3MB)Cannabis Business Operating Requirements(PDF, 17MB)(Not the Most Current Version)
• Personal Cultivation of Cannabis and Zoning Restrictions(PDF, 3MB)

 February 12, 2018

• Public health requirements for Cannabis Businesses
• Storefront Retail Business Maximum Number of Permits, Hours of Operation, and Application and Selection Process(PDF, 3MB)
• Non-Storefront Retail Business Maximum Number of Permits, Hours of Operation, and Application and Selection Process(PDF, 2MB)

March 26, 2018

• Revised Commercial Cannabis Ordinance (Most Current Version)(PDF, 17MB)