Long Beach is about to get greener as marijuana businesses settle into the community. With the recent legalization of recreational marijuana use, 32 dispensaries are coming to the city in the near future.
In many cases, long-standing business like East Long Beach’s Thai restaurant, Thiptara, are getting outbid by dispensary investors who are scouting locations to fit the city’s guidelines under Measure MM.
During the 2016 election, Long Beach citizens voted on Measure MM, a voter-driven ballot, which authorized medical cannabis businesses to operate in the city, according to cannabis program manager Ajay Kolluri.
“It required the city to license up to 32 dispensaries with an unlimited number of other cannabis business types, including cultivators, manufacturers, distributors and testing laboratories,” Kolluri said.
In 2011, the city held a medical cannabis dispensary public lottery, which gave 22 businesses first priority.
“Next priority was given to businesses that received the highest point total through a ‘Priority Point Ranking System,’” Kolluri said. “Points were awarded for various categories such as security, inventory control, criminal history, labor relations, etc.”
Businesses that received the maximum number of points were entered into a public lottery. Ten dispensaries were selected, for a total of 32.
Currently, only nine are licensed by the City of Long Beach and the remainder are still moving through the plan-check or construction phase.
And just like every business, all dispensaries are unique.
“They are all decorated, staffed, and operated in different ways,” Kolluri said. “While they all sell cannabis, each dispensary might offer a different brand or strain, and a different price point.”
The city ordinance also allows dispensaries to sell recreational cannabis to customers who are 21 years or older with valid identification, whereas medical cannabis is sold to qualifying patients with a physician's recommendation.
All dispensaries, including the already-approved medical cannabis dispensaries, need to apply for an adult-use dispensary business license in order to sell recreational marijuana.
Here is the full list of dispensaries coming to the 908’:
4th Street Collective INC
1248 Long Beach Blvd & 1250 Long Beach Blvd
562 Discount Med INC
5227 2nd St
Alternative Therapeutic Solutions
3170 Cherry Ave
American Cancer Society Discovery Shop 5227 2nd St
Avalon Wellness Collective
1755 Ximeno Ave
C&C Wellness Center
2515 E. Anaheim St
C.A.R.E. Collective Inc
2725 South St
Cannabis Evaluation Center INC
3120 Los Coyotes Dia & 3118 Los Coyotes Dia
CDAC Cherry INC
1940 E Del Amo Blvd
Chronic Pain Releaf Center 1501 Santa Fe Ave
CLB Collective
404 Redondo Ave
Cornerstone Health And Wellness
1147 South St
DBO Investments I, LLC
1365 W Pacific Coast Hwy
Elevated Experience INC
6150 Cherry Ave
George Pinto
1319 W 14th St
Gold Flora Partners LLC
5630 E. Pacific Coast Hwy
Healing Design Collective
1621 E Spring St
Holistic Alternative Herbal Medicine
6978 Stanley Ave
L B Green Room 1735 E 7th St
LB Collective INC 1731 E Artesia Blvd
LBC Cannabis Club INC
3730 E. Broadway
Long Beach Wellness Center 5900 E Spring St
NHS Collective
1901 Atlantic Ave
NLB Collective INC
4855 Bellflower Blvd
One Love Beach Club 2767 E Broadway
RLB Collective INC
3401 Norwalk Blvd
Ryan Cameron Rayburn Collective 2115 E. 10 St
Savia INC
2760 E. Spring St 120
Show Grow 3411 E Anaheim St Stone Age Farmacy 3428 Long Beach Blvd
The Airport Collective
3411 E. Anaheim St
The Station 1957 Pacific Ave
Ryan Burns Collective
2800 E 4th St