The Rhode Island Cannabis Control Commission is now allowing prospective retailers to apply for licenses to sell adult-use cannabis. Businesses seeking an adult-use retail license for cannabis must submit an application through the commission's online portal by Dec. 29.
Rhode Island legalized adult-use cannabis in 2022 but has yet to hand out any licenses to new retail cannabis stores. After the law changed, the commission had to go through the bureaucratic process of formulating rules and regulations and figuring out how to distribute licenses and evaluate applications.
In the meantime, seven dispensaries that were already selling medical marijuana were able to begin adult-use sales. In August, the state began accepting applications for "social equity" licenses for retail cannabis stores, which are reserved for individuals affected by previous prohibitions on possessing and selling cannabis, or stores in areas that were disproportionately affected by the War on Drugs.
Under state law, the commission has the power to award 24 new retail licenses in total. Six are reserved for social equity applications and another six are reserved for worker-owned co-ops.
Read more at The Newport Daily News
