***This article has been updated since new regulations were published. Click here for updated article***
Step 1: Apply for and obtain a state cannabis event organizer license.
- Cannabis Event Organizer License Application
- Instructions for Completing the Cannabis Event Organizer License Application
Step 2: Find a compliant location for your event. At this time, licensed cannabis events can only take place at county fairs and DAA’s within California.
- List of County Fairs & District Agricultural Associations
- Cannabis Event Guidelines for District Agricultural Associations
Step 3: Obtain written local approval “to engage in onsite cannabis sales to, and onsite consumption by, persons 21 years of age or older at the event.”
Step 4: Obtain a temporary cannabis event license from the Bureau by submitting an application to the Bureau at least 60 days before the first day of the event. Temporary events can last up to a maximum of four consecutive days. You will be required to provide to the Bureau a list of all licensees providing on-site sales at the event.
- Temporary Cannabis Event Organizer License Application
- Instructions for Completing the Temporary Cannabis Event Organizer License Application
- Event Diagram
- Attachment: List of Licensees That Will Provide Onsite Sales of Cannabis Goods
What are the fees?
CA Application Fee Schedule for Cannabis Event Organizers
| License Type | Fee Per Application |
| Cannabis Event Organizer License | $1,000 |
| Temporary Cannabis Event License | $1,000 |
CA Annual License Fee Schedule for Cannabis Event Organizers
| License Type | Planned Operations (Number of Operations) | Fee Per License |
| Cannabis Event Organizer | 1-10 events annually | $ 5,000 |
| greater than 10 events annually | $ 10,000 |
- Note: On January 18, 2018, the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control released an advisory that outlines the agency’s policies about legalized cannabis relative to ABC licensees that sell alcohol beverages. Key points from the California ABC’s advisory include the following:
o Individuals can hold alcohol beverage licenses with the ABC and cannabis licenses with California’s Bureau of Cannabis Control (BCC) simultaneously.
o Cannabis and alcohol cannot be sold at the same location.
o Cannabis cannot be consumed at restaurants and bars; it cannot be sold by the ABC licensee, nor can consumers bring their own.
- Alcohol beverage products cannot be infused or mixed with cannabis.
Advertising and sponsorships:
- Payment to a cannabis event organizer may not be determined based on, or tied to, the sale of cannabis goods.
- A cannabis event organizer can only work with licensed vendors.
- All ads must comply with applicable advertising rules, including only allowing cannabis ads in outlets where at least 71.6 percent of the audience “is reasonably expected to be 21 years of age or older.”[1]
Disclaimer: This article has been prepared and published for informational purposes only and is not offered, nor should be construed, as legal advice.