Socially Equitable Cannabis Program

Cannabis Updates

The County of San Diego Planning & Development Services is pleased to announce that the Final Program Environmental Impact Report (Final PEIR), including responses to public comments for the draft Socially Equitable Cannabis Program, is available.

The Final PEIR, prepared in accordance with State of California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines, can be viewed on our website .

Subscribe to Updates on the Cannabis Program!

Visit the Engage San Diego Cannabis Program Hub!

Program Overview

What is the Socially Equitable Cannabis Program?

The County’s Socially Equitable Cannabis Program (Cannabis Program) will allow for new commercial cannabis businesses in the County of San Diego’s unincorporated area.
The Cannabis Program establishes safe access to cannabis, helps stop the unlicensed cannabis market, and provides an equitable path to cannabis business ownership and employment.

Program Elements

The program includes: regulatory requirements, a licensing and permitting framework, environmental impact considerations, and support for equitable access to cannabis-related business opportunities.

Expand All | Collapse All

Regulatory Requirements
Current policies will be revised to allow for new and expanded commercial cannabis businesses in the unincorporated area of the county. These include revisions to the County’s regulatory code and zoning ordinance to establish where and how cannabis businesses may operate.
Licensing and Permitting System
Structures and procedures will be put in place to issue the necessary local licenses and permits to run a cannabis business.
Environmental Impact Report
The County prepared a Program Environmental Impact Report (PEIR), which identifies and studies potential impacts to the environment from the proposed Cannabis Program, while evaluating ways to avoid or reduce impacts.
Social Equity Program
This part of the overall program is focused on providing support to eligible persons to successfully establish or gain employment in a cannabis business. This includes efforts to address the adverse impacts that cannabis criminalization has had on people and their communities.

Community Engagement

Community engagement is a key component of the Cannabis Program. The County has solicited input on all aspects of the program throughout the process and will continue until all program components are fully developed and in place.
Visit the Socially Equitable Cannabis Program Engage Page for more information about upcoming engagement opportunities.

Timeline

What We've Completed

The County initiated work on the Cannabis Program in early 2021. Since that time, the County has accomplished several steps in program development. These include:

Established a tax on cannabis businesses
Completed the requirements to ensure eligibility for state grants to support a social equity program
Developed and initiated the social equity program to support future cannabis business entrepreneurs. Conducted eligibility checks and initiated support activities with eligible applicants.
Researched multiple factors for consideration in developing the draft regulatory requirements and licensing and permitting system
Analyzed potential environmental impacts from the proposed Cannabis Program and initiated the development of a Draft Program Environmental Impact Report
Completed the draft regulatory requirements and Draft Program Environmental Impact Report. Both items were available for public review and comment January 30 - March 31, 2025.
Released the Final Program Environmental Impact Report.

Next Steps

As of winter 2026, the next steps include:

Finalize the draft Zoning Ordinance and draft Regulatory Code
Complete the draft licensing and permitting system, including establishing permitting and licensing fees
Present the proposed Cannabis Program to the Planning Commission for their recommendation
Present the final proposed Cannabis Program to the Board of Supervisors for their consideration

The Cannabis Program will be fully implemented after the Board of Supervisors (Board) approves the necessary regulatory changes and certifies the Final Program Environmental Impact Report at a future Board hearing anticipated for summer 2026. In the meantime, new cannabis businesses are not permitted in the county's unincorporated area.