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They’ve been years in the making, but Riverside’s first two licensed marijuana dispensaries are now open.
Though cannabis has been legal in the state for a decade, the journey to opening the city’s first businesses for recreational and medicinal marijuana — designed to feel like local bodega markets — has been a long one.
Embarc, a statewide dispensary business known for retail cannabis products, including recreational and medicinal marijuana, has opened shops in two areas of Riverside — near UC Riverside and in La Sierra, by Kaiser Permanente’s Riverside offices and hospital.
The openings follow approval of the city’s cannabis retail zoning policy last summer, which allows one dispensary per city council ward, to keep the businesses from clustering in neighborhoods. The rules allow for a maximum of seven storefront retail cannabis shops in the city.
Riverside officials had previously banned the growing or sale of commercial marijuana, with the exception of lab testing facilities. A council committee in 2021 began looking into approving a limited number of commercial marijuana businesses in the city. In 2023, councilmembers voted to approve up to 14 storefront permits, then later slashed the allotted cannabis store permits citywide by half, from 14 to 7. Councilmembers Chuck Conder and former councilmember Jim Perry voted no.
At the 2023 meeting, Conder pointed out issues in Denver, which had legalized the sale of recreational marijuana, including the continuation of the illegal market, public safety concerns and an increased cost in services.
Conder could not be reached by Monday afternoon, July 27. Riverside Police Department spokesperson Steven Espinosa on Monday said the department was busy and could not say by Monday afternoon whether the city has seen crimes related to the dispensaries.
The opening of the Embarc stores, designed to be casual and welcoming shopping experiences, has been a long time coming, Riverside community and business leaders said Friday, July 24, at a ribbon-cutting event for Embarc’s new location in Ward 2 by UCR.
Riverside resident Cassandra Salazar said the new site — which she discovered on the retailer finder website weedmaps.com — is close to her work. She used to have to drive much farther to shop.
Embarc’s first location, at 10921 Magnolia Ave., near Kaiser Permanente Riverside Medical Center in Ward 6, began operations in March. Its newest store at 1601 University Ave. opened this month.
Inside, the small dispensary — the site of a former nutrition shop — is meant to feel like shopping at a small market, with clear-cut labels for its offerings of THC and CBD products, cannabis-laced drinks and edible gummies.
Embarc Manager Josh Lewis said the University Avenue location leans into an open “market-style” layout, with open shopping aisles. Both locations also donate a portion of proceeds to the community.
“The one-store-per-ward approach means that each of our shops is well-positioned to become a true cornerstone for the neighborhood they serve, while being accessible to the broader community at the same time,” Lewis said.
Lewis said that Embarc also had conversations with Riverside residents about the kind of retail in which they were interested, to ensure it would be operating “responsibly” and as a “good long-term neighbor.”
“Our University Avenue location was a perfect match after hearing resounding support from our neighbors,” he added.
Riverside city regulations prohibit cannabis storefronts downtown and in the midtown Magnolia Center neighborhood, two major commercial areas. Also, retailers must be 1,000 feet away from all schools through 12th grade, public parks and other cannabis businesses, and 600 feet from community or daycare centers.
Aside from finding a location, it takes money to operate a cannabis business.
In Riverside, to renew an annual cannabis business permit costs $3,719, said Miranda Evans, Riverside’s Community & Economic Development Director.
Other required fees, according to Evans, include change in location for $1,814; transfer of cannabis business permit for $4,089; modification of site/premises for $1,668; ownership change for $991; employee background check review for $1,342 per person, and an out-of-town cannabis delivery fee for $1,043.
The city’s 2025 voter-approved Measure B also authorizes a cannabis business tax of up to 10% of gross receipts. Riverside City Council members established the current rate at 8% of gross receipts, Evans said. The IRS defines “gross receipts” as the total amount of money an organization receives, “without subtracting any costs or expenses.”
California legalized recreational marijuana in 2016, when voters passed Proposition 64. A slight majority of Riverside County residents voted yes, with 52.9% supporting the measure. In 2018, Riverside County supervisors approved regulations for legal marijuana commerce in unincorporated areas.
The Artist Tree, in Highgrove just outside Riverside, was among the first licensed marijuana stores to open in Riverside County.
Evans said five additional dispensary proposals are going through the approval process. They are in different stages, including getting permits, construction, inspections and state licensing.
The proposed businesses would be in the city’s remaining four wards and include:
Embarc — which is eyeing another retail store in Ward 7’s La Sierra Acres — has a community-focused approach, in which 1% of sales would be donated to benefit the neighborhood, Lewis said. The aim is for money to go toward youth drug prevention and education programs.
Currently there are 18 stores statewide, with another Inland Empire location in Fontana.
Sarah Bauer, general manager of the new University Avenue location, said the demographic of “typical smokers” is a wide range of ages, and it’s important for people to be able to walk into their “local weed shop” and not be rushed, but feel at home with the open aisles and bright lighting.
Shop employees at Embarc are called guides.
“They’re not your typical ‘bud-tender;’ we’re literally guiding customers from the moment you walk in the door, to figure out what they’re really looking for or might want to try,” Bauer said.
She likened the newest location to a “7-Eleven store.”
Riverside resident Shawn Sisnett, who was browsing the aisles Friday, said he was excited and happy to have a new shop in his city.
Joshua Felegy, an ambassador and committee chair of the Greater Riverside Chamber of Commerce, attended the Embarc opening and went shopping. He noted the “taboo” that comes with operating a marijuana business.
“People aren’t aware of the healing properties that come along with cannabis,” Felegy said. “Now Riversiders have another option where they can come and get medical marijuana, and also fun cannabis.”
“There’s demand everywhere because there’s a need everywhere. It’s been pivotal for what Riverside has done to push the ability for these dispensaries to open,” he added.
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