CANNABIS AND HEMP BUSINESS LAW FIRM SERVING SAN FRANCISCO
Cannabis and Hemp Business Attorney Serving Throughout California
The Law Office of Shay Aaron Gilmore has donated hundreds of hours of pro-bono legal services to the cannabis social equity movement throughout the United States, successfully closed millions of dollars in mergers and acquisitions and other corporate transactions for hemp and cannabis investor and operator clients in Northern California, and helped dozens of businesses procure or maintain state and local commercial licenses and permits throughout the legal cannabis and hemp supply chains.
A California cannabis and hemp law leader, Shay Aaron Gilmore provides proven legal solutions for operators and investors to launch, fund and grow ventures in compliance with the cannabis and hemp industries’ ever-changing laws, regulations and policies, focusing on the City and County of San Francisco. Appointed by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, Shay has served as a member of the San Francisco Cannabis Oversight Committee.
In addition to San Francisco, the Law Office of Shay Aaron Gilmore also serves clients in:
Practice Areas in San Francisco, California
We provide each of our clients with customized knowledge that translates into tailored, cost-effective legal counsel designed to reach their unique goals. The Law Office of Shay Aaron Gilmore supports the ongoing success of our San Francisco cannabis and hemp industry clients in the following practice areas:
Shay actively plays leading roles in the industry’s top trade and professional organizations like the American Bar Association Cannabis Law & Policy Committee, and the International Cannabis Bar Association. Shay founded the Cannabis Practitioners Group of the California Lawyers Association, as well as the Cannabis Law Section of the Bar Association of San Francisco. The Los Angeles/San Francisco Daily Journal has named Shay to its list of the Top 20 Cannabis Lawyers in California. Shay has been recognized by Super Lawyers® Magazine as a Northern California Super Lawyer in Cannabis Law and in Business & Corporate Law, and as one of the Top 100 Lawyers in Northern California across all practice areas. Shay currently serves on the Board of Directors of California NORML.
San Francisco Cannabis and Hemp Business Resources
Whether you are an established California operator or investor expanding your business or investment into San Francisco, or you are just now joining the California cannabis or hemp markets, understanding the legal requirements and regulations impacting the local cannabis and hemp industries is vital to your success. Here are just a few local resources for cannabis and hemp businesses to use in answering questions regarding cannabis and hemp legislation, regulation, and enforcement in the City and County of San Francisco.
If you have specific questions or concerns in the City and County of San Francisco, The Law Office of Shay Aaron Gilmore can provide customized legal solutions for your cannabis or hemp business and investment needs.
Contact The Law Office of Shay Aaron Gilmore today!
Contact our San Francisco cannabis law specialists today by phone at (415) 846-6397 or online so you can fully and compliantly align your business and/or investment interests in the California cannabis industry.
Frequently Asked Questions
To get a San Francisco cannabis license, an operator must obtain a local cannabis business permit from the San Francisco Office of Cannabis and then a state license from the DCC. San Francisco’s local process determines whether a cannabis business San Francisco may operate as a retailer, delivery service, distributor, manufacturer, or testing laboratory at a specific site, and once the Office of Cannabis approves the local permit, the applicant can seek the corresponding DCC license to operate legally in San Francisco.
The Office of Cannabis administers the permitting process for all San Francisco cannabis dispensaries and other commercial cannabis San Francisco operations. Because the local permitting and state licensing processes involve detailed regulatory requirements — including zoning verification, security plans, and neighborhood notification — engaging a cannabis attorney San Francisco or the best San Francisco cannabis lawyer available is strongly advisable. A San Francisco cannabis law firm or cannabis lawyer San Francisco operators trust can guide applicants through both the local Office of Cannabis process and the DCC state license application. For operators seeking cannabis consulting San Francisco support, cannabis consultants San Francisco professionals familiar with the city’s regulatory framework can help prepare permit applications. A San Francisco business lawyer experienced in cannabis in San Francisco regulations can also advise on entity formation, lease negotiation, and operational compliance.
A cannabis growers license in San Francisco is a DCC cultivation license issued in conjunction with a local cannabis business permit from the San Francisco Office of Cannabis. San Francisco cannabis regulations allow commercial cannabis cultivation under the city’s local ordinances. A cultivator must obtain a local cannabis business permit for cultivation from the Office of Cannabis, satisfy all local zoning and land-use requirements, and then submit a DCC cultivation application with premises diagrams, water and environmental information, CEQA documentation, and proof of local authorization from San Francisco.
Because cultivation space in San Francisco is limited by the city’s urban density and zoning constraints, securing an appropriate site is often the most challenging step for prospective cannabis business San Francisco cultivators. A San Francisco cannabis attorney or cannabis business attorney San Francisco cultivators rely on can advise on site selection, lease negotiation, and the local and state application processes. The San Francisco cannabis lawyers and San Francisco cannabis attorneys who regularly work with the Office of Cannabis can help ensure that all permitting requirements are met efficiently. A San Francisco business lawyer with experience in cannabis San Francisco matters can also coordinate cultivation licensing with broader business formation and compliance needs.
Because San Francisco has no industrial hemp cultivation program and no agricultural commissioner office administering hemp San Francisco registrations, there is currently no process or timeline for obtaining a hemp grow authorization in San Francisco. Prospective hemp farmers usually look to more agricultural counties that accept CDFA industrial hemp registrations through their county agricultural commissioners.
A hemp attorney San Francisco or hemp lawyer San Francisco practitioners recommend can advise on alternative county options for hemp cultivation and help coordinate the CDFA registration process in a county that does accept hemp applications. For businesses based in San Francisco that wish to cultivate hemp elsewhere in California, a hemp law firm San Francisco operators trust can assist with structuring the business entity, negotiating a cultivation site lease in an eligible county, and ensuring compliance with both state and local hemp regulations.
San Francisco does not maintain an agricultural commissioner-run industrial hemp San Francisco program, so there is effectively no hemp grower registration cost specific to San Francisco County. If San Francisco ever establishes a hemp cultivation program, a grower would be required at minimum to pay the statewide $900 CDFA industrial hemp registration fee per county, plus any local fees San Francisco sets.
For San Francisco-based businesses that cultivate hemp in another California county, the $900 CDFA fee applies per county of cultivation, and the host county may impose additional local fees. A hemp attorney San Francisco or hemp lawyer San Francisco operators consult can advise on total anticipated costs for out-of-county cultivation. A San Francisco cannabis attorney or cannabis lawyer San Francisco practitioners recommend can also help evaluate whether a combined cannabis-and-hemp business structure makes sense, and a San Francisco business lawyer can coordinate entity formation and tax planning across both product categories.