South Lake Tahoe cannabis application scores announced - next step safety permits

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - After 21 applications for cannabis retail, cultivation and micro-business licenses in South Lake Tahoe were received, reviewed, evaluated and scored, the City has announced the chosen six.

The top applicants are invited to apply for a special public safety license and negotiate a formal development agreement with the City. By fall, three retail permits, two microbusiness permits, and one cultivation permit will be awarded.

Two of the selected retail locations will be near Stateline with the third near the Y. The micro-businesses will be located near Tahoe Keys Blvd. and the industrial section of South Lake Tahoe. That will also be home to the cultivation business as well.

RETAIL APPLICANTS - Top Three Selected
Ranking - Applicant - Address - Score
1 - Embarc Tahoe - Christy Wilson* - 4035 Lake Tahoe Blvd - 97.7
2 - Cannablue - Chris Zeigler - 2179 Lake Tahoe Blvd - 91.8
3 - Tahoe Green - David Turner* - 3930 Lake Tahoe Blvd 90.7
4 - Have A Heart - 989 3rd Street - 87.9
5 - Medman - 2311 Lake Tahoe Blvd - 86.3
6 - Honey Leaf - 3678 Lake Tahoe Blvd - 84.3
7 - Stay Lifted - 941 Emerald Bay Rd - 82.8
8 - Element 7 - 2318 Lake Tahoe Blvd - 82.8
9 - The Green Goddess - 2635 Lake Tahoe Blvd - 82.4
10- Diego Pellicer - 1169 Ski Run Blvd - 78
11- Canna Nation - 3979 Lake Tahoe Blvd - 75.8
12- One Plant - 3665 Tamarack - 75.3
13- Kind Life - 2701 Lake Tahoe Blvd - 74.4
14- South Tahoe Wellness - 2705 Lake Tahoe Blvd - 74.1
15- South Tahoe Cannabis - 947 Poplar Street - 73.5
16- Norcal Cannabis Co. - 2701 Lake Tahoe Blvd - 67
17- TREZ Lake Tahoe - 765 Emerald Bay Rd - 61.3
18- The New Green Deal - 986 Emerald Bay Rd -37.9

MICRO-BUSINESS APPLICANTS - Top Two Selected
Ranking - Applicant - Address -Score
1 - Redefining Organics - Oliver Starr - 1090 Industrial Ave - 89.9
2 - Perfect Union - Scott Spears - 2227 James Ave - 84.5
There were no other applications received for microbusinesses

CULTIVATION APPLICANT - One Selected
Ranking - Applicant - Address - Score
1 - Redefining Organics - Oliver Starr - 1090 Industrial Ave - 87.7
There were no other applications received for cultivation

*Both Christy Wilson and David Turner were members of the Cannabis Subcommittee that developed the City's cannabis program in 2018.

To get to this point, those who applied to have one of the three retail permits paid $20,913 to be involved in the process. The 15 applicants who were not selected will get a refund minus time and expense costs charged by the City (cost of doing the service). Those applying for the micro permits paid $22,016.

The total fees collected are estimated to be what it would cost through the whole licensing process, so those selected can expect the funds collected to be completely used through the development agreement phase.

Until fall there is one cannabis business open, Tahoe Wellness Cooperative. It was a medical marijuana dispensary prior to the legalization of cannabis and they sued to be able to open as adult-use when the City's cannabis ordinance was approved.

The original story has been updated.