DCR Still Needs Your Help to SPARK a Conversation Around Cannabis in the Community
| On April 20, 2021, the City of Los Angeles Department of Cannabis Regulation (DCR) launched SPARK, a multifaceted community and stakeholder engagement program that allows community members and stakeholders to share input with DCR. SPARK is generally broken down into five key phases. These phases include, Collecting Feedback, Analyzing Feedback, Creating the Final Report, DCR and the Commission will Develop and Present the Report and Recommendations to City Council and appropriate council committees. From there, it will be up to Council and Council Committees to take action. We are currently in the Collecting Feedback phase of this process. |
Since the launch of SPARK, DCR has been engaging with members of the community through a variety of methods, including virtual events, written feedback, surveys and other resources, all of which can be accessed in the SPARK Virtual Meeting Room.
To start the SPARK initiative, DCR hosted eight (8) SPARK Sessions which focused on different topics including licensing and regulation, the Social Equity Program, corporate social responsibility, and community impact. SPARK Sessions #1-4 provided background on the main topics, while Sessions #5-8 included breakout rooms that allowed for direct feedback and recommendations from participants. The ideas expressed by participants in the Sessions, either during the Stakeholder Comment Period prior to the start of the Session or in the breakout rooms, were recorded and captured on a whiteboard, which were saved as reference materials. The recorded SPARK Sessions, breakout room whiteboards, and reference materials can all be found in the SPARK Virtual Meeting Room.
Although the SPARK Sessions have ended, DCR still needs your help to better advise the City of Los Angeles on cannabis laws, policies and programs!
DCR has added two NEW SPARK SURVEYS to the Virtual Meeting Room alongside the two current SPARK Surveys. These NEW surveys can each be completed within 5 – 7 minutes and focus on Licensing, Regulation, and the Social Equity Program or Corporate Social Responsibility and Community Impact. These SPARK Surveys and the two original surveys will now be available through Friday, July 16, 2021.
Along with the SPARK Surveys, the SPARK COMMENT BOX will be available through Friday, July 16, 2021. The SPARK Comment Box allows anyone to provide feedback on ‘all things cannabis’ in the community.
Community participation is vital to responsible and equitable development and implementation of cannabis policy in the City of Los Angeles. Through SPARK, communities can share input that will help inform the Department of Cannabis Regulation as we make future cannabis-related recommendations to the City of Los Angeles Mayor and City Council. Enter the SPARK Virtual Meeting Room from the DCR website, take a SPARK Survey, leave a comment in the SPARK Comment Box, or watch past SPARK Sessions. We look forward to seeing you SPARK change in our community!