Cannabis Application Process

Application Procedure - General 

Cannabis Facilities Rules and Regulations
Commercial Cannabis License Application Process Overview
Hollister Application Procedure 

Stage 1. Applicant and Facility Eligibility 
Stage 1 of the cannabis facility regulatory permit application process considers the eligibility of the application and the proposed facility according to the following procedure: 

1. The application is evaluated for completeness, including the execution of any required agreements accompanying the application form and required documentation.
2. The proposed location is evaluated for conformance with the zoning and sensitive use restrictions contained in Section 5.42.160 of the Municipal Code.  
3. Each applicant under the application will undergo a Fingerprint-Based Criminal History Records Check conducted by the City Police Department pursuant to Section 5.42.060 of the Municipal Code. This may include Live Scan and any indicated follow-up investigation.
4. Government-issued identification will be provided to determine that each applicant, manager, and employee of the cannabis facility is over eighteen (18) years of age and that no applicant, manager, or employee of the cannabis facility is a licensed physician making patient recommendations for cannabis pursuant to Section 5.42.070 of the Municipal Code. 

 All eligible applicants will move on to Stage 2. 

 Stage 2. Applicant and Facility Evaluation 

1. Application materials are reviewed for compliance with all regulations under the Municipal Code. 
2. A committee appointed by the City Manager, or their designee, will interview and evaluate the applicants. In addition to the scored components, the committee may also consider community input, site inspection results, the feasibility of the business, and the viability of the proposed location.  

The committee’s evaluation will be included with the application when presented to the City Council in Stage 3.  

Stage 3. Applicant and Facility Selection 

1.  The City Manager, or their designee, shall prepare a report to be brought forward to the City Council, which shall include the points scored by the application in the initial portion of Stage 2 and the committee’s evaluation prepared in the subsequent portion of Stage 2. 
2. The application shall be included on the agenda of a City Council meeting as a noticed public hearing, with the report identified in step 1 of this stage presented to the City Council and the public. 
3. The applicants shall attend the public hearing to answer any additional questions and may potentially make a presentation to the City Council and public.
4. The City Council shall determine whether to issue or deny the cannabis facility regulatory permit. In doing so, the City Council may impose such additional terms and conditions on the issuance or renewal of the regulatory permit and the operation of the facility as the Council deems appropriate. 

Application Procedure - Dispensaries  

Section 5.42.050 of the Hollister Municipal Code authorizes the City to permit up to two (2) total cannabis dispensaries within the city limits. For this reason, the City Manager, or their designee, shall administer the three stage process of the screening and evaluation of the cannabis dispensary regulatory permit on a competitive basis.  

The application process for cannabis dispensary regulatory permits was opened on March 15, 2017, and closed on April 17, 2017. Regulatory permits for two cannabis dispensaries were awarded following this process to [INSERT TWO APPROVED REGULATORY DISPENSARY PERMITS INFO]. The City is not currently accepting new applications for cannabis dispensary regulatory permits.