It’s been a tumultuous year for California cannabis businesses. Though the state legalized recreational cannabis, new laws requiring stringent testing standards and efforts like seed-to-sale tracking have slowed the progress of many businesses. Some dispensaries have even had to destroy products not-up-to-snuff with new regulations in an effort to comply. Facing a long transition period, cannabis businesses have looked into operating however they can to avoid going out of business. But one company, Om Edibles, has achieved what the rest are currently dreaming about: they have been granted an annual license.
Temporary Versus Annual Licenses
The goal for most canna-businesses in California is obtaining an annual license. It’s much easier said than done, though. Due to the slowness of the application process, many have settled for extending their temporary license. In order to get a state license, however, applicants must be in compliance with all local ordinances. In fact, in order to apply for a temporary state business license, the interested applicant must already possess a permit, or some form of authorization, from the city or county in which the company operates. So, in the counties and cities that ban the cultivation, manufacturing, or retail sale of cannabis, California’s three licensing authorities–CalCannabis, Manufactured Cannabis Safety Branch, and Bureau of Cannabis Control– will not issue state licenses. It also means that some businesses won’t receive permits if a local government caps the number of annual licenses permitted in a city.
Maya Elisabeth founder and owner of Om Edibles (Courtesy of Om Edibles)
One Small Step for Women, One Giant Leaf for Us All
But for Om Edibles operating out of cannabis-friendly Berkeley, CA, applying and getting an annual license came fairly easily. Om Edibles is an all-female-run collective specializing in the manufacturing of cannabis. Their