Only retailers and non-storefront retailer businesses with a state license and a local business license can sell cannabis or cannabis products. All licensed cannabis businesses are required to display their license numbers on their website and any forms of advertising.

We strongly recomend you verify the cannabis business is licensed through the state and county. 

Individuals operating without state and local licenses are considered part of the black market and are opperating illegally. 

Personal adult use cannabis goods are only available to individuals who are at least 21 years of age.

Medicinal cannabis goods are only available to individuals who are at least 18 years of age and possess a valid physician's recommendation.

Adults over the age of 21 years old can cultivate cannabis for personal use only.

Medically individuals who are 18 and possess a valid physician's statement of recomendation or possess a valid California Medical Marijuana Identification Card. 

Indoors in a legally established dwelling or structure that is fully enclosed and secured. Outdoor cultivation is not permitted. Personal cultivation must take place at the person's full-time residence.

Yes, the County Agricultural Commissioner/Sealer enforces statutory and regulatory provisions regarding the inspection, testing, and registration of weighing devices, the inspection of prepackaged product, and the inspection of product labeling.

Yes, the County of San Luis Obispo has a clearly defined process for nuisance abatement, and if necessary, revoking a permit.

Yes, delivery of cannabis or cannabis goods may be conducted by non-storefront retailers who are licensed by the state and county. A delivery may only take place at a privately owned physical address. For example, your residence or apartment. 

Deliveries shall not occur at an address located on publicly owned land or any address on land or in a building leased by a public agency. For example, a parking lot near a department/grocery store, a gym, a park, etc. 

We strongly recomend you confirm the cannabis business is licensed by the state and county prior to ordering cannabis or cannabis goods. 

Please refer to the Industrial Hemp Ordinance in the Agriculture / Weights and Measures Department.

No, not for personal use. Six cannabis plants, grown indoors, per dwelling unit, for personal use, are exempt from business license and land use permit requirements. 

Yes, all tips submitted using the File a Complaint are done so anonymously. Some of your information is required however it is never used and kept confidential. 

No; however, there are limits on the number of cultivation sites that can receive land use permit approval.

You can use our Land Use View application to research land use information by parcel number or address.

Refer to the Cannabis Permitting Guide for a step by step process to becoming a commercial cannabis operator.

County business licenses are valid for one (1) year from the date of issuance, unless a shorter time period is specified by the Tax Collector.

The County of San Luis Obispo allows residents to grow up to six (6) plants, including both mature (flowering) and immature plants, within a one hundred (100) square foot canopy per dwelling unit, indoors in a legally established dwelling or structure that is fully enclosed and secured. Personal cultivation must take place at the person's full-time residence. Outdoor cultivation is not permitted for personal use.

Each residence can grow up to six (6) plants, confined to 100 square-feet of grow area, indoors.

An individual 21 years of age or older can possess not more than twenty eight and a half (28.5) grams of cannabis, or not more than eight (8) grams of concentrated cannabis under the Adult Use Act.

An individual under the medical marijuana program must have a valid California Medical Marijuana Identification Card. The individual may possess no more then eight (8) ounces of dried cannabis. 

Currently, most County business licenses require a $40 application fee. Most licenses then require an annual $31 renewal fee. Every county cannabis business license is also required to pay a Cannabis Tax Compliance fee of $3,918.00 at the time of license issuance. The Cannabis Tax Compliance fee is due annually when the license is renewed. 

We suggest you speak to your District Supervisor. They are the legislative arm of the County government that implements such policies and regulations. 

Submit an anonymous tip. 

First notify the Planning & Building Department and the Sheriff's Office of the desired modification(s).

• Planning & Building Modification
• Contact Sheriff's Office at [email protected].

The Department of Building & Planning handles project amendments.

Yes, the County Agricultural Commissioner enforces statutory and regulatory provisions regarding the use of pesticides and pest control operations.

Common reasons that a business license for cannabis activities could be denied include lack of required land use authorization, failure to submit required paperwork, and/or failure to pass a criminal background check.

Refer to the County Cannabis Permitting Guide for a detailed layout of the process. 

An illicit market refers to an economic activity that takes place outside government sanctioned regulations. Illegal transactions that let participants avoid state and local government licensing and taxes. The illicit cannabis market does not go through the legal regulatory systems put in place to ensure public safety such as, types and amounts of pesticides used, testing, packaging, and proper labeling. The illicit market undercuts the legal cannabis business operators profit margin and makes it harder for them to succeed. 

• Permits are not required for personal cultivation with six (6) or less cannabis plants.
• All structures, and any plumbing, mechanical or electrical systems, should be legally built with all applicable permits.
• Access to cannabis should be limited with locking doors or gates.
• Structures shall be equipped with odor control filtration and/or ventilation systems to eliminate offsite nuisance odor.
• Any artificial lighting should be shielded and confined to the inside of the structure.

You can expect to receive a response within 48 hours if submitted Sunday through Thursday. Please allow additional time if submitted Friday or Saturday.

The smoking or consumption of medical and recreational cannabis is prohibited in public places and in places where smoking tobacco is prohibited. This includes hallways and lobbies of apartment buildings and hotels, on the street, in schools, amusement parks, public parks and places of business open to the general public. The smoking or consumption of cannabis is also prohibited within 1,000 feet of a school or youth area while children are present.