New Dispensaries Planting Their Roots in Long Beach

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