A vibrant, compliant legal cannabis market benefits and protects the safety of all Californians. DCC’s compliance efforts support this by:
- Licensing locations that meet state requirements
- Educating licensees about their responsibilities under their state license
- Conducting routine inspections of licensed premises
- Investigating alleged violations of commercial cannabis laws
DCC works with licensees to gain voluntary compliance. For example, DCC may issue a Notice to Comply, which identifies violations, provides direction as to how to correct the violations, and provides a deadline for correcting them. Serious violations or recurring violations may also be addressed by:
- Denying an application for commercial cannabis licensure
- Issuing a citation that may include:
- Fine – up to $5,000 per violation (licensed person) or $30,000 per violation (unlicensed person)
- Order of abatement
- Suspending a license for a period of time
- Revoking a license
- Imposing a fine based on the disciplinary guidelines
Learn more about compliance and enforcement actions in chapter 12 of the DCC regulations.
Compliance and licensing actions
Compliance Action Records
View information related to license denials, citations and disciplinary actions.
Final decisions
View final license denials, citation and disciplinary action decisions adopted pursuant to the Administrative Procedure Act.
Embargos
Important information about embargoes
The Department of Cannabis Control (DCC) is responsible for enforcing state laws regulating cannabis businesses, including laws to protect the health and safety of patients and consumers. One important tool in this effort is the embargo.
