Ten companies are vying to become Pacific Grove’s first and only retail cannabis operator, city officials announced on Monday, Oct. 27, sharing a list of all 10 on the city’s website. At least two of the 10 companies are major cannabis retail chains with 15 or more locations.

It brings the small town one step closer in a six-year struggle, including a majority of residents voting in favor of one store in 2022.

The next step is a review of the applications by city staff to see if each company meets the minimum requirements, a process that could take through the end of the year, according to P.G. City Manager Matt Mogensen. The applicants that meet those requirements will then be placed in a lottery to choose the winner, which could take place in early January.

Each application is being judged on its business, security and building plans, plus intentions of how the company will compensate employees, if it will employ local management and be compatible with the surrounding neighborhood. The application had to include a financial responsibility agreement, an affidavit from the property owner or landlord, proof of insurance and zoning verification. The fee to apply was $9,272, plus an additional $300 fee for a background check and $210 for zoning verification.

The two major retailers that applied are Embarc Dispensary, filing under Pacific Grove Responsible and Compliant Retail, which has 17 locations in the state. The other is NUG, with 14 stores in California and one in New York.

Eight of the companies filed as LLCs in September using as their agent Sean Maddocks, an attorney with Green Consulting Partners based in Newport Beach. Maddocks also filed his own application under the name P.G. Retail LLC. Who is behind the other seven LLCs is unclear – Maddocks says he cannot share his clients’ names without their permission.

The other LLCs that applied are: Marogy RE, ADM Biz Dev, MJRE, Robbinhood, OTC PG, OTC Pacific Grove and Rawy Rogers.