Show Me The Money

by Roger Tower on April 2, 2019

The annual state license application fee for the Bureau of Cannabis Control (BCC) is $1,000. A bond of $5,000 payable to the State of California is submitted with the application. The actual license fee which is renewed annually ranges from $4,000 to $125,000.

The costs associated with obtaining a commercial cannabis license vary depending on the type of license and business location. Commercial businesses are required to apply for a state license as well as local permits.

Annual license fees:
Marijuana Retailers: $4,000 – $72,000
Marijuana Microbusinesses: $5,000 – $120,000
Testing Labs: $20,000 – $90,000
Distributors: $500 – $125,000

License fees are determined based on the declared maximum dollar value of the business submitted with the application.

Cannabis cultivators apply for a state license through CalCannabis, a department under the California Department of Food and Agriculture. Application fees start at $135 and can go up to $8,655. Cannabis cultivation licenses range from $1,205 to $44,517 calculated based on the type of cultivation license.

For a cannabis manufacturing license, the application fees are between $500 and $1,000. The license fees range from $2,000 to $75,000 and are also calculated by the business’ gross annual revenue. All fees are nonrefundable, which is why it’s important to have professionals who are familiar with cannabis law and have experience with the state licensing process prepare these documents with you.