Cannabis Blog

By Steve S. Baghoomian, Esq. A cannabis embargo can be tantamount to destruction when it prevents the steps needed to keep a living crop viable. The Department of Cannabis Control does not have to send someone to cut down the plants for the loss to become permanent. If mature plants deteriorate while a licensee waits…

Receiving an enforcement notice from the Los Angeles Department of Cannabis Regulation (DCR) is not the same thing as losing an appeal. But the type of notice matters enormously: a Notice of Violation, administrative hold, suspension, and revocation do not all use the same deadline or allow the same operations while a hearing is pending.…

A mismatch between physical cannabis inventory and California’s track-and-trace records can lead to an investigation, a notice to comply, or an embargo. But a discrepancy is not a diagnosis. The key questions are what the records actually show, whether the products have a lawful source, and whether the problem can be documented and corrected under…

A single incident can create serious licensing exposure for a Los Angeles cannabis business, but the Department of Cannabis Regulation (DCR) cannot skip the rules that govern a proposed revocation. The relevant ordinance requires consideration of several factors before issuing a Notice of Revocation. Those factors give licensees a framework for disputing the agency’s factual…

A California Department of Cannabis Control (DCC) Emergency Decision and Order, often called an EDO, is a form of temporary enforcement designed to address immediate danger. It can also shut down a licensed cannabis business before the ordinary disciplinary process has run its course. For an affected licensee, the first questions are what the agency…

An embargo can stop a cannabis business from selling or moving inventory, but an embargo does not automatically mean the California Department of Cannabis Control (DCC) has ordered lawful destruction. The distinction can determine whether a licensee has an opportunity to correct a problem, protect valuable property, or contest condemnation. What does a DCC embargo…

How a Los Angeles cannabis license ownership change works under LAMC 104.03, the 51% Social Equity share rules, and what triggers a DCR Notice to Correct.

What a DCR Notice of Revocation or Suspension means in Los Angeles, the 5-day appeal deadline, the 10-day hearing, reinstatement, and DCC fallout.

What a Los Angeles DCR Notice of Violation means, the 15-day appeal clock, penalty factors, stipulated agreements, and how the LAMC 104.14 hearing works.

Short answer: In the City of Los Angeles, you cannot buy or sell a licensed cannabis business by signing a purchase agreement. Every change to a licensed entity’s ownership structure requires prior written approval from the Los Angeles Department of Cannabis Regulation (DCR). The core filing is LIC-4004-MOD (Application Modification Request – Ownership Structure), submitted…