State Licensing

Note: in addition to state licensing requirements, local cannabis permits may be required for businesses.

As directed by the Medical Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act and the Adult Use of Marijuana Act, three state agencies are responsible for issuing cannabis business related licenses and will begin accepting applications on January 1, 2018.

Four agencies are in the process of developing the regulations that will define the cannabis licensing process. Please see the information and links below keep up to date as these regulations are being developed.

CalCannabis Cultivation Licensing

Located within the California Department of Food and Agriculture, CalCannabis Cultivation Licensing will license cultivators and will also be responsible for implementing the Track-and-Trace System for plants from cultivation to sale.

Website:	https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/is/mccp/
Email:	CalCannabis@cdfa.ca.gov
Subscribe to email alerts:	https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/calcannabis/subscribe.html

Bureau of Cannabis Control

Located within the California Department of Consumer Affairs, the Bureau of Cannabis Control will issue licenses for distributors, dispensaries, transporters, and testing laboratories.

Website:	http://bcc.ca.gov/
Email:	bcc@dca.ca.gov
Phone	(833) 768-5880

Office of Manufactured Cannabis Safety

Located within the Department of Public Health, the Manufactured Cannabis Safety Branch (MCSB) will issue licenses for medical cannabis product manufacturers.

Website:	http://www.cdph.ca.gov/mcsb
Email:	mcsb@cdph.ca.gov
Phone:	(916) 558-1784

State Water Resources Board

The State Water Board is developing and implementing new regulatory programs to address potential water quality and quantity issues related to cannabis cultivation.

At this time cultivators with 2,000 square feet or more of cannabis are required to enroll in the North Coast Regional Water Board’s water quality regulatory program (Order R1-2015-0023).

To learn more, please visit the State Water Resources Control Board website

General Information and Links

Read an overview of the California Department of Consumer Affairs Medical Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act (MCRSA) State Agency Responsibilities.

The California Department of Technology is leading the procurement effort for the cannabis track-and-trace system.

If you are a vendor who would like more information on this procurement opportunity, please contact the California Department of Technology by calling (916) 319-9223 or sending an email to Mary Anne DeKoning at: Maryanne.DeKoning@state.ca.gov