Sacramento will get 3 new marijuana dispensaries with city council’s support
Sacramento City Council unanimously approved a resolution on Tuesday that paves the way for three new marijuana dispensaries in the city.
The city is currently home to 34 operational storefront dispensaries and is capped at 40 per city code. An ordinance change will be brought to the council in the coming weeks and is expected to create a new limit of 43 dispensaries.
It is unlikely that Sacramento will reach that maximum number in 2025. In recent years, people have taken years to open a storefront dispensary in the city.
“This doesn’t mean that we’re going to, all of a sudden, have three additional dispensaries open overnight,” said Councilmember Caity Maple on Tuesday. “They’re going to start their process. It’s going to take time, and all this is going to happen gradually.”
The council’s decision comes after a lengthy discussion centered around the city’s Cannabis Opportunity Reinvestment and Equity program, an initiative that attempts to support communities disproportionately facing barriers to starting cannabis businesses. The program was competitive due to its funding opportunities and waived fees.
In 2021, 10 people were granted a CORE program permit and given three years to open a storefront dispensary. Only half had reached that goal by last year, which led to the council offering a one-year extension.
At Tuesday’s council meeting, Fiona Mattson, program manager for the office of cannabis management, said three of these permit holders had requested another one-year extension due to several challenges. Those included “ownership structure issues” and damage from a fire.
Among those permit holders was Malachi Amen, founder of Arise Holdings who said his storefront dispensary was 90% complete.
“To deny me this opportunity now, after all of this investment and progress, would be a tragic disservice to the spirit of the CORE ordinance,” Amen said.
To others, including Alexis Angulo, another extension would go against spirit of the CORE Program. Angulo, founder of Pretty & Posh Cannabis Brand, said she was next in line to receive a permit should the council not offer the extension.
“This is not just a matter of fairness,” Angulo said. “It is a matter of upholding the integrity of the system.”
City staff offered the council three options: another one-year extension, no extension or an extension while offering three additional CORE permit opportunities. All council members opted for the third option.
“None of these options are perfect, but this is something I think that gives the best path going forward to continue this work, as well as come up with the fairest solution,” said Mayor Kevin McCarty.
Opening the three new available storefront dispensaries is dependent on several factors including identification of a site, improvements and business financing, said Sacramento Finance Director Peter Coletto.
“I don’t know how ready those three next people on the list are, but they’re not going to be open in a month,” he said.
This story was originally published March 25, 2025 at 8:06 PM.
