Cultivation tax eliminated
The weight-based cultivation tax died July 1, 2022 — but the deal required the excise rate to rise later to make up the revenue. That bill came due on July 1, 2025, when the excise rate jumped to 19%.
Long Beach Collective Association · est. 2009
Safe access. Fair policy.
Proven at city hall.
The nonprofit trade association of Long Beach's legal cannabis industry — tracking every federal, state, and local change, writing better policy, and giving back to the city that voted us into existence.
LIVE · 2026
- State-licensed medical cannabis is now federal Schedule III (April 2026)
- DEA hearing on rescheduling all cannabis: June 29 to July 15, 2026
- AB 564: California excise tax rolled back from 19% to 15% through June 2028
- Long Beach adult-use retail tax lowered from 8% to 7% in May 2025
- Long Beach council advanced the cannabis special-events ordinance 6 to 2 in March 2026
- Equity-exclusive delivery licenses approved December 2024
By the numbers
Sixteen years, measured in wins.
0 yrs
Advocating in Long Beach since 2009
0+
Signatures gathered to put Measure MM on the ballot
$0M
Measure MA revenue funding city services (FY 2024)
0
Licensed storefront dispensaries operating citywide
Federal · Rescheduling tracker
The wall is cracking. Here's the timeline.
Cannabis has been Schedule I — "no accepted medical use" — since 1970. That officially ended for state-licensed medical cannabis in April 2026. Every step, as it happened:
AUG 2023
HHS recommends Schedule III
The Department of Health and Human Services concludes cannabis has accepted medical use and recommends moving it from Schedule I to Schedule III.
MAY 21, 2024
DOJ proposes rescheduling
A Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to transfer marijuana to Schedule III publishes in the Federal Register. It draws more than 42,000 public comments.
JAN 13, 2025
Hearing stalls
The administrative law judge postpones the scheduled hearing amid pre-hearing disputes and an appeal. The process idles through 2025.
DEC 18, 2025
Executive order: expedite
President Trump directs the Attorney General to complete the Schedule III rulemaking "in the most expeditious manner in accordance with Federal law."
APR 23, 2026
Medical cannabis goes Schedule III MILESTONE
Acting AG Todd Blanche's final order immediately places FDA-approved cannabis products and cannabis under state medical licenses in Schedule III — opening an expedited DEA registration pathway and relief from the IRS 280E tax penalty for medical licensees. Adult-use cannabis remains Schedule I for now.
JUN 18, 2026
Hearing participants named
DEA selects seven participants for the broader rescheduling hearing — all appearing opposed. NORML's request to participate is rejected; it seeks reconsideration.
JUN 29 – JUL 15, 2026
DEA hearing on all cannabis HAPPENING NOW
An expedited administrative hearing weighs whether cannabis as a whole — including adult-use — moves to Schedule III. It concludes no later than July 15.
PENDING
Court challenges
Prohibition and drug-testing groups have challenged the April order in the D.C. Circuit. The LBCA is tracking the litigation and will brief members as rulings land.
What it means in Long Beach: operators holding state medical licenses gain a federal registration pathway and 280E relief; adult-use remains state-legal but federally Schedule I. Nothing about rescheduling permits interstate commerce — yet.
California · Sacramento
AB 195 · 2022
AB 564 · 2025
2026 WATCH
The state finally hit reverse on taxes.
Excise tax rolled back to 15%
Signed September 22, 2025, AB 564 (Haney) cut the excise rate back to 15% effective October 1, 2025 — locked through June 30, 2028, with biennial reviews after (capped at 19%). Cal NORML, UFCW, CCIA and 10,000+ letters got it done.
What's moving now
Packaging-reform hearings at the Capitol, CDPH hemp regulations, a disposable-vape ban amended to exclude cannabis vapes, and the DCC's mandated tax report to the Legislature due October 2027. The illicit market still moves an estimated 2.4M of California's 3.8M pounds — the core argument for continued reform.
Long Beach · City Hall
Where local cannabis policy actually gets made.
Cannabis items move through the Office of Cannabis Oversight and City Council — feasibility study, first reading, second reading, ordinance. The LBCA is in the room for all of it. Recent council actions:
MAR 2026 6–2
Cannabis special events advance
Council votes to allow permitted cannabis sales and consumption at events — up to 12 permits per licensed organizer per year, 1–4 days each, 21+, no alcohol or tobacco, 1,000-ft school buffers. Venues floated include the Queen Mary, Marina Green, Rainbow Lagoon, the Convention Center, and the new Amphitheater. A policy the LBCA has pushed since 2019.
MAY 2025 8%→7%
Retail tax reduced
Council lowers the adult-use retail tax — the continuation of a tax-relief plan the LBCA has advocated for since the first 6%→1% supply-chain win in 2019.
DEC 2024 UNANIMOUS
Delivery licenses — equity exclusive
Council creates a legal pathway for delivery-only cannabis businesses, reserved for verified equity applicants, to recapture sales lost to out-of-city delivery services.
2023–24 ½ RATE
Equity tax relief + credit pilot
Equity businesses' cultivation and retail taxes cut to half the standard rate; a pilot Business Tax Credit program launches June 2024, with a Special Circumstances Payment Plan for back taxes.
ONGOING 8
Equity dispensary rollout
Up to eight dispensary licenses reserved for equity applicants. Two equity storefronts have opened with six more expected in 2026. Adult-use businesses citywide must staff 40% of work hours with equity hires and file community reinvestment plans.
Local community
Legal cannabis, invested in Long Beach.
Measure MA revenue — $11.8M in FY 2024 — funds city services including the Racial Equity and Reconciliation Initiative and homeless assistance. The LBCA and its members add the people power:
Food distributions
Twice-monthly distributions with Help Me Help You — every 2nd and 4th Wednesday since 2021.
Clean-ups
Alamitos Beach and neighborhood clean-ups in partnership with community associations across the city.
Workforce & education
The 8-week Introduction to the Cannabis Industry with LBCC workforce training, plus a 400+ attendee job fair with the city's workforce department.
Civic engagement
Endorsement hearings for local and state candidates — 17 hosted in 2022 — and action alerts when cannabis hits the council agenda.
Our story · 2009 → today
We were here before it was legal.
Sixteen years of organizing — the timeline scrolls itself; touch it to pause. →
Auto-scrolling timeline. Touch, click, or focus it to pause; use the left and right arrow keys to move between years.
2009
Origins
The LBCA forms under Prop 215, educating city staff and electeds. That work helps pass Ordinance 5.87 (2010) — Long Beach's first medical cannabis ordinance.
2011
Trade association
The LBCA formally establishes as a 501(c)(4) to advocate for safe access and fair business policy.
2012
Pack v. Long Beach
A lawsuit shutters all cannabis operations on Aug 12. Members turn facilities into campaign headquarters.
2013–14
18 signatures short
50,000+ signatures gathered for a ballot initiative; the City Clerk invalidates 18 and the measure dies. The city passes its own tax measure anyway.
2015
Task force
Two LBCA board members serve on the city's Cannabis Task Force. Council rejects its recommendations 5–4. The LBCA regroups with UFCW.
2016
Measure MM passes
60.14% yes. Measure MA (taxes) passes at 68.25%, and Prop 64 carries Long Beach. Legal cannabis is coming back.
2017
Doors reopen
MAUCRSA signed statewide; the first legal medical dispensaries open in Long Beach in late September.
2018
Adult-use ordinance
Council adopts adult-use rules 7–1 with an equity licensing path. The LBCA hires its first staff.
2019
6% → 1%
An LBCA campaign wins a supply-chain tax cut for labs, distribution, and manufacturing. "1% of something is better than 6% of nothing."
2020
Hours, not hikes
The LBCA blocks a COVID-era retail tax increase by proposing extended hours instead. Council agrees — and revenue beats the tax-hike projection.
2021
The Long Beach model
Extended-hours revenue tops estimates ($9.24M projected). Costa Mesa and San Diego study the approach. CCP launches under SB 34.
2022
Events & endorsements
Advocacy for events, lounges, and tax relief; endorsement hearings for 17 candidates; bi-monthly food distributions continue.
2023–24
Tax relief plan
Equity half-rates and a pilot tax-credit program adopted; equity-exclusive delivery licenses approved in December 2024.
2025
Two tax wins
Long Beach retail tax drops 8%→7% in May; the state excise rolls back 19%→15% under AB 564 in October.
2026
The federal shift
Medical cannabis goes Schedule III in April; the special-events ordinance advances 6–2 in March; the DEA hearing on full rescheduling runs through July 15.
Member directory
DispensariesTesting LabsCultivatorsManufacturersDistributorsBrandsAffiliate Services
Dispensaries
Chronic Long Beachchroniclb.com
The Circlethecirclelbc.com
Flight on Cherryflightoncherry.com
LB Green Roomlbgreenroom.com
The Cornerthecornerlbc.com
Testing labs
Cultivators, manufacturers, distributors & brands
Abstrax Techabstraxtech.com
Cannaviscannavis.com
Kings Coastkingscoast.com
Hey Bud Cannabisheybudcannabis.com
THC Designthcdesign.com
Affiliate businesses
Membership tiers and registration
Long Beach Operator
$500/month
Licensed cannabis businesses within the City of Long Beach — retail, cultivation, manufacturing, distribution, testing.
Industry Affiliate
$250/month
Cannabis businesses outside Long Beach, cannabis brands, and ancillary business services.
Compassion Cannabis Program · SB 34
Free medicine for patients who need it.
Under SB 34 (implemented March 2020), licensed operators donate compassion products — fully tracked through the state system — free to California patients with a current doctor's recommendation or state MMIC. Veterans and seniors especially encouraged. Donations fund doctor's recommendations for patients who can't afford them.
Get involved
Advocacy runs on people.
Volunteer at food distributions and clean-ups, join action alerts for council meetings, or donate to fund patient recommendations. Start with the newsletter — advocacy campaigns, industry events, and community action by email and text.