The United States is home to 40 states that have legalized cannabis for medical use, and 24 states that have legalized recreational use, as of this publication. All of these states require a wide range of businesses to support the industry, and licensing is often the first official step in the process. In fact, cultivation and retail/dispensary licenses together comprised the largest cohort of active U.S. licenses, representing 72% of total active licenses in the first quarter. Seven states accounted for 75% of all active cultivation and retail licenses in the U.S., with three of those on the West Coast: California, Oklahoma, Michigan, Oregon, Washington, New Mexico, and Colorado.
Washington Cannabis License: Fees, Types, and Current Status
While officials are not accepting Producer, Processor or Retailer Washington cannabis license applications except for those under the Social Equity Program, there are still key things to understand by those who hold licenses or seek to obtain a cannabis license in Washington in the future. Washington cannabis license options are as follows:- Producer: $1,381
- Processor: $1,381
- Retailer: $1,381
- Transportation: $250 application, $1,300 license
- Research: $250 application, $1,300 license
- Cooperative Registration: No Fee. This allows qualifying patients and/or designated providers to form a cooperative to share responsibility for growing and processing cannabis only for medical use by the members of the cooperative.
- Medical Endorsement (No Fee): Allows a Retailer to sell medical use cannabis to qualifying patients and designated providers. Retail licensees with a medical endorsement may, at their discretion, provide cannabis at no charge to qualifying patients and designated providers.
- Application for Additional Funding ($75): Allows the licensee to receive approval for additional funding from an existing business member, previously approved financier, or new financier.
- Added Medical Cannabis Endorsement (No Fee): Allows the licensee to add a Medical Endorsement to a currently licensed Retailer.
- Cooperatives Change Authorization (No Fee): Allows the licensee to add or remove qualified patients or designated providers from an existing cooperative.
- Cannabis Alteration Request (No Fee): Allows the licensee to make alterations to a previously approved operating plan or floor plan.
- Assumption ($250 per privilege): Allows the assumption of an existing license under a new entity. Allows a new entity to take over operations of an existing license at its current location. A current licensee will need to apply if they wish to continue operating their business under a new legal entity (i.e. a sole proprietor forms a corporation). The application fee is per privilege. License fees are invoiced by the WSLCB finance department prior to final approval and are prorated to match the entity’s expiration date. License fees vary by license type.
- Change Of Governing People ($75): Allows the licensee to add or remove members or change their percentage of ownership within the currently licensed entity.
- Change Of Location ($75): Allows the licensee to move a currently licensed business to a new location.
Oregon Cannabis License: Closed to New Applicants, With Exceptions
Effective as of March 20, 2024, Oregon cannabis license applications will not be accepted into perpetuity. This decision was signed by the governor and is connected to formulas that are restrictive, ratio-based and tied to population. For those with existing licenses, the state will review applications for cannabis licenses in Oregon for promotional events and trade shows. As of Jan. 1, 2026, licensees may sell or transfer products to one another and provide trade samples to other licensees and their employees. Promotional events still require pre-approval from OLCC. A current Oregon cannabis license holder must submit a Marijuana Promotional Event Application through OLCC’s online licensing system (CAMP) and receive approval prior to holding the event. Only holders of a cannabis license in Oregon who are specifically approved and agree to the Control Plan for the event may participate.California Cannabis License Types: Fees and Requirements
California is accepting applications and requires a California cannabis license before performing any commercial cannabis activity, including:- Growing cannabis (cultivation)
- Transporting cannabis (distribution)
- Making cannabis products (manufacturing)
- Testing cannabis or cannabis products (testing laboratory)
- Selling cannabis (retail)
- Holding an event where cannabis will be sold (event organizers)
- Distribution: ranges from $1,500 to $240,000
- Cannabis Event: ranges from $3,000 to $20,000
- Microbusiness: ranges from $5,000 to $300,000
- Cultivation: ranges from $1,205 to $77,905
- Testing Laboratory: ranges from $3,000 to $112,000
- Retail: ranges from $2,500 to $96,000
- Manufacturing: ranges from $2,000 to $75,000