Cannabis Dispensaries

In addition to licensed cannabis dispensaries, a large number of illegal unlicensed cannabis dispensaries are open across LAC that sell a variety of cannabis products such as edibles and vapes, some of which are of high dosage or potency and do not comply with regulations.

Storefronts in LAC

In LAC, there were at least 1,932 cannabis dispensaries as of 2023, including both licensed and unlicensed physical storefronts (Figure 1). Some cannabis businesses offer delivery services, which can substantially expand their reach beyond customers that visit the physical storefronts.

Figure 1. Cannabis dispensary locations (licensed and unlicensed storefronts) in Los Angeles County, 2023

Source: State of California, WeedMaps, Leafly, and LAC OCM

Storefronts by LAC Regions

In 2023, among LAC regions, SPA 2 – San Fernando had the largest number of cannabis stores (603 storefronts), followed by SPA 4 – Metro (454 stores), SPA 6 – South (229 stores) and SPA 8 – South Bay (206 stores) (Figure 2).

The density of cannabis dispensaries per 100,000 population was highest in SPA 4 – Metro (42.0), followed by SPA 2 – San Fernando (28.0), SPA 5 -West (23.5), and SPA 6 – South (23.2).

THC Potency

THC is the main psychoactive component of cannabis. Over the last two decades, the THC potency of cannabis products seized by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) from the illegal cannabis marketplace in the US has been increasing, from about 4.0% in 1995 to 15.3% in 2021 (Figure 3).

References

Los Angeles County Office of Cannabis Management (OCM). https://dcba.lacounty.gov/cannabis/

National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). 2022, November 23. Cannabis Potency Data. https://nida.nih.gov/research/research-data-measures-resources/cannabis-potency-data. Retrieved on 1/18/2024.

State of California Department of Cannabis Control. https://cannabis.ca.gov/

Weedmaps. https://weedmaps.com/listings/in/united-states/california/los-angeles