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Most Rhode Island Marijuana Social Equity License Applicants Have Been Disqualified

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5 months ago

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The commission also approved new rules for hemp products.

By Christopher Shea, Rhode Island Currant

Only 38 percent of pre-applicants for a cannabis retail license reserved for those affected by the war on drugs have been able to submit a formal application, the Cannabis Control Board announced Friday afternoon.

Of the 94 applications to be considered for a social equity license, 36 met the eligibility criteria after review. The committee received the certificate in a 2-0 vote on Friday and they now have until December 29th to submit applications to go to the lottery. The commission will award six social equity licenses through this lottery.

It was the first vote since the departure of President Kimberly Ahern 204,069 dollars a year left the post on October 21, 2026 to run for state attorney general.

Ahern’s usual seat between Commissioners Layi Oduyingbo and Robert Jacquard was empty while the other two members conducted business. In addition to voting to certify social equity applicants who have passed the eligibility test, the board formally approved hemp regulations previously administered by another agency.

Oduyingbo and Jacquard thanked Ahern for his work during the past two and a half years of meetings, including establishing rules governing Rhode Island’s recreational pot industry.

Olivia DaRocha, a spokeswoman for Gov. McKee’s (D) office, said Monday that the governor’s team is still working to identify a candidate to replace Ahern. That nomination would require Senate approval and is expected to be introduced early in the next legislative session, DaRocha said.

“In the meantime, the committee continues to work,” DaRocha wrote in an email to the Rhode Island Current.

Previous screenings of social equity applicants were performed by Massachusetts-based Creative Services, Inc.

To be certified and continue in the application process, social equity applicants must meet one of the following five criteria:

  1. 51 percent ownership and control One or more people have lived in a disproportionately affected area for at least five of the previous 10 years.
  2. 51 percent ownership and control One or more people who have been arrested or imprisoned for drug offenses that have since been decriminalized, or who have had a family member affected by the war on drugs.
  3. At least 10 full-time employees At least 51 percent of current employees live in a disproportionately affected area or were arrested/convicted of marijuana charges.
  4. ability to do demonstrate significant past experience or in business practices that promote economic empowerment in disproportionately affected areas.
  5. Not more than 400 percent of the median incomeas determined by the commission, in at least five of the past 10 years in an area of ​​disproportionate impact.

Over-impacted areas were determined by state regulations based on the federal poverty level, unemployment rate, number of students in the free school lunch program, and historical arrest rates by census tract. This applied to parts of five Rhode Island municipalities: Central Falls, Newport, Pawtucket, Providence and Woonsocket.

Those who do not meet the criteria can still apply for a standard license. Applications for all types of licenses must be made by December 29.

Under the 2022 law that legalized recreational cannabis, the commission could offer 24 new licenses to retailers, with six reserved for social equity applicants and another six for worker-owned cooperatives. All recreational licenses will be distributed across six geographic zones, with a maximum of four stores per zone.

Beginning Jan. 1, 2026, the state’s Office of Cannabis will have 90 days to review applications and verify that each meets eligibility qualifications before entering a lottery. The deadline set at the committee’s October 20 meeting is built in at least 60 days to allow applicants to secure approval at the local level for random selection.

The regulators is expected to start issuing licenses As soon as May 2026.

What about hemp?

Commissioners also voted to formally approve regulations for hemp products manufactured and sold in Rhode Island. The rules were approved under an emergency order in July after the commission took over oversight of hemp from the Department of Corporate Regulation before moving it to the new Bureau of Cannabis.

Carla Aveledo, the commission’s policy liaison, told the panel that the rules were mostly unchanged. Regulations still require products to be tested, labeled in a way that does not appeal to minors, and sales restricted to those 21 and older.

All products may contain 1 milligram total THC (the psychoactive component of the cannabis plant) per serving, or 5 milligrams total THC per package. That is somewhat contradictory The new rules passed by the federal government were intended to tighten the loopholes which have allowed the proliferation of psychoactive hemp products such as beverages and edibles.

“Staff will continue to monitor federal legislation and any changes to ensure that Rhode Island’s hemp laws are consistent with any federal requirements,” Aveledo said.

Rhode Island legalizes hemp-based alcoholic beverages starting in August 2024. The policy has divided the cannabis industry, which mostly opposes the products, and the liquor industry, which supports them but wants exclusive control over where they are sold.

The division called for the General Assembly’s Cannabis Control Commission to conduct a study on dosage limits, packaging standards, labeling requirements, licensing requirements and other ways to ensure that children do not accidentally consume intoxicating beverages.

The commission’s recommendations go to state lawmakers by March 1, 2026. The commission plans to hold hearings early next year as it shapes its study, commission spokeswoman Charon Rose said Monday.

This story was first published by the Rhode Island Currant.

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Cresco Labs gets Texas license

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11 hours ago

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April 4, 2026

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Cresco Labs has obtained a Texas Compassionate Use Program License. It is a vertically integrated license that allows Cresco Labs to cultivate, process and distribute medical cannabis.

“Texas patients deserve access to consistent, quality medicine, and we’re excited. Our track record in medical markets reflects our ability to build strong programs that put patients and communities first,” said Charlie Bachtell, CEO of Cresco Labs. “Winning a license in Texas through a merit-based application demonstrates Cresco Labs’ deep regulatory expertise and thoughtful approach to meaningful local engagement. Organic licenses enable capital-efficient market entry, and our cash flow and balance sheet give us the financial flexibility to invest in and grow our scaled platform for the long term.”

This license advances Cresco Labs’ state-by-state growth strategy and ensures access to one of the largest patient populations in the United States. Texas is the nation’s second most populous state, approaching 30 million people, and continues to see ongoing legislative efforts to improve patient access and expand eligibility.










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Missouri Lawmakers Pass Bill To Ban Intoxicating Hemp THC Products, Sending It To Governor

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11 hours ago

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April 4, 2026

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The legislation also includes provisions to protect the privacy of marijuana users and the right of cannabis workers to unionize.

By Rebecca Rivas, Missouri Independent

It would be a bill headed to the desk of Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe (R). remove all intoxicating hemp products from the shelves as of Nov. 12 — including THC seltzers currently sold in bars and grocery stores — in line with the state’s upcoming federal ban.

If Congress were to reverse course and decide to allow the sale of these products, Missouri would allow the sale of marijuana only in licensed dispensaries. And if Congress decides to delay the ban for a couple of years, Missouri would ban all products except liquor sales at dispensaries.

The House passed the bill sponsored by state Rep. Dave Hinman, R-O’Fallon, by a vote of 126 to 23. It passed the Senate Tuesday night and now goes to the governor for his signature or veto.

The bill also includes provisions to protect the privacy of marijuana users and the right of cannabis workers to organize, amendments that state senators added late Tuesday.

Hinman’s legislation was one of the first bills to pass the House this year. He previously told The Independent that the legislation was a priority for state leadership, including the governor, attorney general and House speaker.

Intoxicating hemp products containing as much as 1,000 mg of THC are being sold in smoke shops—outside of licensed marijuana dispensaries in Missouri—and are not regulated by any government agency. Missouri lawmakers have not passed legislation regulating these products since 2023.

The bill comes amid uncertainty about where the federal government will take regulation of these products.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order in December directing his administration to work with Congress to develop a framework that allows full-spectrum CBD products that contain some amount of THC.

On Wednesday, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services unveiled an initiative that could $500 cover per year per 3mg hemp-derived THC and CBD product. for eligible users. Products under this program would be illegal in Missouri under the bill passed Thursday.

This story was first published by the Missouri Independent.

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“There is more to Portugal’s medical cannabis story than recent turbulence”

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1 day ago

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April 3, 2026

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Germany imported 2025 tons of medical cannabis. Part of that volume came from a Portuguese processor whose license had been revoked, which was unloaded below cost as it was reinstated. The episode sparked attention, and consequences followed. PTMC’s Joao Duarte believes that most of these conclusions are wrong. “Eight tons is not even 5% of what Germany consumes per year,” he says. “For that to result in price dumping, the math just doesn’t work.”

Structural price pressure
According to him, the price pressure in Portugal is mainly structural. “The more countries that get into production and start exporting, the lower the prices will be. Today, Colombia is exporting, Costa Rica is exporting, and Brazil, with the scale it can bring to outside cultivation, is not far behind. Canada has been the main volume supplier to markets in Germany, Australia, Israel and the UK due to the strength of low-priced flowers from European producers. Again, and fast.” It draws a direct line with what happened in the CBD market in previous years, when prices were compressed as supply expanded and operators without cost or quality advantages found themselves without a market. Medical flower THC, he says, is following the same logic over a longer timeline.

To lift the burden of this price pressure, the answer obviously lies in the right regulations and policies. These should be based on the principles of providing high quality medicines to patients. To achieve this, the flowers must reach the consumers shortly after they are picked. As simple as it sounds, proximity is Portugal’s real advantage. “The fresher the flower is when it reaches the patient, the better the quality,” he says. “Only proximity gives that.”

© Henner Damke | Dreamstime

A turning point
As for the regulatory issue, Joao points to Portugal’s eight-year history of medical cannabis as a distinguishing feature, following last year’s police raids. Organizations that have long been involved in the licensing and enforcement framework have developed standards and experience in applying them. “Our GMP standards are real,” he says. “They are not a number on a certificate.”

The damage to the reputation of these raids, in his opinion, is exaggerated. “There is always a scandal in the industry,” he said. “That doesn’t necessarily mean it’s over, that a country’s economic sector has been kicked out. Canada, the largest exporter of cannabis, is the clearest example of that. Everyone remembers the CannTrust scandal in 2019, which made international headlines. That didn’t kill the Canadian industry until it became them, the regulatory system moved in their work. It looks like.”

EU-GMP clearance
One important area is EU GMP clearance, the practice of converting imported flowers through a European facility to obtain certification that the original material would not otherwise carry. “We would have more value growing the flowers than doing the conversion,” he says. For Portuguese producers, the practice reduces the premium that EU GMP certification must entail and makes it more difficult to distinguish domestically grown product from processed imports at the point of sale.

To each his own
Joao does not believe that other European countries can take Portugal’s place in the old continent’s cannabis industry. “This is simply because it’s not one thing for a country to be active in one sector and then push out another. It’s an open market, everyone participates at different levels.” As a neighbor, Joao cites Spain as an example. The country currently has less than ten licensed producers and has yet to build the export infrastructure or regulatory track required by the markets. “I don’t see Spain coming and taking over,” he says. “Both Spain and Portugal will take market share. Operators with established contracts will continue to move product. After that, it’s about quality and price.”

Denmark, he says, is an immediate competitive variable, producing significant quantities and moving into European markets with momentum. Portugal is currently among the top three to five exporters to Germany and has established positions in Australia, Israel and the United Kingdom. “This reflects accumulated capacity rather than regulatory time, and it’s not something that goes away because a processor loses its license,” he says.

A common European pricing policy, along the lines of the state-controlled model in France, is a mechanism that the industry should collectively push for. Without this, individual producers are left to absorb the cost pressures of suppliers operating on a scale that European policy has no current framework for. “We should aim to have good flowers,” he says. “We must not aim to demolish Portugal.”

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