UNION CITY, Calif. — Commercial cannabis fees are going up in Union City after remaining untouched for the past four years.
The Union City City Council on Tuesday decided unanimously to increase the fees for commercial cannabis applications 13.83% to account for inflation and tie future annual fee increases to the consumer price index, which measures the change in prices for a basket of common goods and services over time.
“This is essentially, once again, to capture the fee increases since 2018 over the past four years,” said City Manager Joan Malloy.
| Type of fee | Former fee | Adopted fee |
| 1. Preliminary determination of eligibility | ||
| 1a. Eligibility review | $3,979 | $4,529 |
| 1b. Live Scan/criminal history check | $174 | $198 |
| 1c. Background review | $300 | $341 |
| 1d. Zoning verification letter – cannabis only | $310 | $310 |
| 2. Evaluation and ranking by consultant team | $1,581 | $1,800 |
| 3. Evaluation and ranking by City Selection Committee | $1,568 | $1,785 |
| 4. City manager evaluation and recommendation | $2,030 | $2,311 |
Californians passed Proposition 64, also known as the Adult Use of Marijuana Act, in 2016, legalizing cannabis at the state level. The City Council adopted Chapter 5.44 in the municipal code, establishing the regulatory framework for commercial cannabis operators, in November 2017.
The city has two commercial cannabis businesses, including Flor in Union Landing and Lemonnade on Union City Boulevard, with more expected soon.
In September, the City Council opened the commercial cannabis application process again. It’s set to close Jan. 9.
