Lakewood's Cannabis Regulations: The Rules That Matter

Every city handles cannabis regulations a little differently. In Lakewood, California, there are 2 distinct rules that residents and property owners should be aware of. Some are stricter than what neighboring cities enforce, and others are more relaxed. Here is what you need to know.

Dispensary Zoning

Lakewood bans every form of commercial cannabis activity citywide: cultivation, processing, testing, delivery, dispensaries, sales, and cooperatives are all prohibited activities under Municipal Code Section 9378(B), and no use permit, variance, or building permit can ever be issued for one, so there is no zone or address in the city where a licensed dispensary or delivery-only operation may lawfully locate.

Key details: Scope of ban: Every cannabis business type, citywide. Liable parties: Owners, landlords, employees, and volunteers. Permits: None may issue for the activity. Enforcement: City Attorney/Prosecutor civil action, nuisance abatement. Fee-shifting: Attorney's fees awardable to prevailing party.

Operating, leasing property to, or working for any cannabis dispensary, delivery service, cultivation site, or testing lab anywhere in Lakewood violates Section 9378(B). The City Attorney or City Prosecutor can sue for injunctive relief and civil penalties under Section 9378(D), with courts able to award the City its attorney's fees, and the operation is separately declared a public nuisance the City may abate summarily under Code of Civil Procedure Section 731.

This is not one of those rules that cities tend to ignore. Lakewood actively enforces its dispensary zoning requirements.

Home Cultivation

State law, not Lakewood's own code, sets the real limit on home cannabis growing: Health and Safety Code Section 11362.2 caps personal cultivation at six living plants per private residence and bars a city from completely banning indoor growing. Lakewood's Municipal Code Section 9378 purports to prohibit all marijuana cultivation citywide, but that blanket text cannot lawfully reach a compliant indoor grow.

Key details: Plant cap: 6 living plants per residence. Excess product limit: 28.5 grams beyond growing plants. Storage rule: Locked, not visible from public place. Indoor cultivation: Cannot be completely banned by a city. Outdoor cultivation: A city may completely ban it.

Lakewood's own code text still lists cultivation among its Prohibited Activities, enforceable by City Attorney or City Prosecutor civil action and nuisance abatement under Section 9378(C)-(D), but under Health and Safety Code Section 11362.2(b)(2) that enforcement cannot reach an indoor grow of six or fewer plants that stays locked, out of public view, inside a private residence or a fully enclosed accessory structure. The city's enforceable authority is limited to outdoor cultivation and to growing beyond the six-plant, 28.5-gram cap.

The Bottom Line

Lakewood's cannabis regulations rules are a mixed bag. Some areas are strict, others are relaxed, and the details matter. The best approach is to check the specific rule that applies to your situation rather than assuming Lakewood is broadly strict or permissive.

This guide is based on Lakewood's current municipal code. Local rules can and do change, so check the individual ordinance pages for the latest details, penalties, and FAQs.