Three Cannabis Retailers Seek Oceanside Dispensary Permits

Three of six licensed cannabis retailers in Oceanside have submitted applications for storefront dispensaries that the city will evaluate before planning commission review.

Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Openings & Closings

Photograph of an empty commercial storefront with a plain stucco facade and large windows on a quiet palm-lined coastal street. — Three of six licensed Oceanside cannabis retailers, including Embarc, MedLeaf and Noble Victory, have applied for conditional use permits for storefront dispensaries. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Three of the six companies granted cannabis retail licenses in Oceanside earlier this year have submitted conditional use permit applications for storefront dispensaries. The Oceanside Planning Commission will consider approval of the applications after city staff completes its evaluation.

Why it matters

The applications move licensed cannabis retailers closer to opening physical storefronts in Oceanside, shaping where legal dispensaries will operate in the city. The City Council previously granted three tied licenses to Embarc, Green Venture Farms and Oceanside Retail OPCO, a decision made to keep the process fair.

Embarc's proposed dispensary would occupy an existing 1,518-square-foot building on a 10,329-square-foot parcel with four parking spaces and no proposed expansion. MedLeaf's site at 3671 Mission Ave. includes a 1,919-square-foot building on a 16,338-square-foot parcel with 22 proposed parking spaces, and it is unresolved whether the city will approve either project.

The players

Oceanside Planning Commission

The Oceanside Planning Commission is the city body that will consider approval of the three dispensary conditional use permit applications after staff review.

Oceanside City Council

The Oceanside City Council is the city's elected legislative body that granted the three tied cannabis licenses to Embarc, Green Venture Farms and Oceanside Retail OPCO.

The details

Embarc filed its application in September for a dispensary at 2525 S. Vista Way. MedLeaf, which occupies the site of Paul's Place Restaurant, and Noble Victory LLC, doing business as Left Coast at the former China Star Buffet, submitted applications for locations at 3671 Mission Ave. and 1401 Mission Ave., respectively. MedLeaf and Noble Victory received the first two storefront licenses because they already operated licensed cannabis delivery businesses, while March and Ash received the next license after scoring higher than remaining applicants.

Earlier in 2026: Six companies were granted cannabis retail licenses in Oceanside.
September 2026: Embarc filed its conditional use permit application for 2525 S. Vista Way.

Market Landscape

The applications reflect the step from licensed cannabis delivery operations toward brick-and-mortar retail that the city's licensing process has now made possible in Oceanside. Placing storefronts in commercial corridors such as Mission Avenue and South Vista Way will determine how the retail market is distributed across the city.

If approved, the Embarc, MedLeaf and Noble Victory dispensaries would give Oceanside residents local storefront access to licensed cannabis products rather than relying on delivery. Parking and building size constraints at each site will shape how the stores operate once they open.

The takeaway

Oceanside's dispensary applications show how licensed delivery operators are moving toward storefront retail under city permitting rules. Residents can watch Planning Commission agendas to see when the three applications are decided.

What happens next

The Oceanside Planning Commission will consider approval of the three dispensary conditional use permit applications after staff completes its evaluation, though no date has been set.