Long Beach has the potential to expand its cannabis social equity program by allowing delivery-only businesses and increasing the number of clinics in the city.

Residents can now buy cannabis for home delivery. But the marijuana comes from a pharmacy.

But that can change quickly.

According to staff, the city council on Tuesday, October 12, decides whether to instruct city lawyers to create an ordinance that allows long-beach companies to sell cannabis only by delivery without having a physical store. I will report.

The council should vote for the ordinance when it is ready.

However, the council has three options on how the city can proceed with the expansion of the program.

Two of them include allowing these businesses to be limited to those covered by the Social Equity Program.

Staff report that it can be difficult for stock applicants to secure assets in one of these zones, as the city only allows cannabis operations to operate in certain areas of Long Beach. .. Allowing a delivery-only business may allow more stock applicants to enter the cannabis industry.

The city may also expand the number of clinics in the city and add eight more, but they are also for stock applicants only. To qualify, equity applicants must meet one of the following requirements:

• The family’s annual income was less than 80% of the median for the region last year.
• Net worth is less than $ 250,000.
• The majority of residents lived in the Long Beach Census District, which earns less than 80% of the region’s median income, for three years or were arrested for cannabis crime before November 8, 2016. ..
• Residents receiving unemployment allowance.

Long Beach officials also requested the council to spend $ 325,000 to expand the program, staff reported. The city will spend the money to pay for new software in the program and support new cannabis business licenses, staff reports said.