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Most Rhode Island Marijuana Social Equity License Applicants Have Been Disqualified

Published

11 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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Fluent to sell New York license and operations

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2 months ago

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July 30, 2026

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Fluent has entered into a definitive agreement to sell Etain, LLC, the Company’s New York-based operating entity. The purchase agreement was signed on July 22, 2026. The transaction provides for the sale of Etain’s Registered Entity license, certain of the Company’s New York operating assets and related New York leases for cash, subject to customary purchase price adjustments.

The Company believes the Transaction advances its strategic objectives and expects the Transaction to comply with applicable regulatory requirements in connection with the Company’s previously announced plan of arrangement for Vireo Growth Inc. (the “Deal”) while providing for an orderly transition of the New York operations to an experienced operator committed to serving patients and consumers.

Completion of the free transaction is subject to closing conditions, including, among other customary conditions, approval of the change in ownership by the New York State Cannabis Control Board and the completion of all conditions to the completion of the Agreement.

For more information:
FLUENT Corp
getfluent.com/










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Marijuana Has ‘Horrific Health Risks’ And No Medical Value, Former Trump Attorney General Claims

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2 months ago

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July 30, 2026

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A former US attorney general who served in President Donald Trump’s first term says marijuana poses “tremendous health risks,” has no medical value and should not be rescheduled under federal law.

“Marijuana redistricting would create a false impression that it is safe, reduce penalties for illegally selling the drug, and provide a large tax windfall to those who legally supply it,” William Barr wrote in a Wednesday op-ed for The Washington Post, Kevin Sabet, CEO of the prohibitionist organization Smart Approaches to Marijuana. “That would be a disaster.”

The opinion comes as the Trump administration moves forward with cannabis reregulation.

According to an order issued in April by US Attorney General Todd Blanche, Marijuana products regulated by a state medical cannabis license were immediately changed from Schedule I As did marijuana products approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) under Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA).

an administrator The hearing is looking at the broader rescheduling of marijuanawith The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has been tasked with advocating for cannabis reform highlighting the testimony about the medical benefits of marijuana and its relative safety compared to other substances such as alcohol and opioids. It included appearances by a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) scientist and a doctor from New Hampshire. Medical marijuana provides relief to pain patients and can serve as an alternative to opioids.

But Sabet and Barr, who served as Trump’s attorney general from 2019-2020, argued that “the evidence presented at the hearing did not support the rescheduling of marijuana” and instead “confirmed what decades of data have shown: raw marijuana has no scientifically established medical value and is highly susceptible to abuse.”

After the parties to the hearing have filed termination rights, the DEA administrative law judge overseeing the proceedings will make a recommendation regarding rescheduling, and the agency administrator will make a final decision.

DEA Administrator Terrance Cole only organizations and individuals opposed to marijuana reform have been invited to the hearing as a designated participant – telling supporters that they do not meet the definition of “interested person” to participate because they have not been “affected or prejudiced by any rule or proposed rule that may be issued.”

—
It’s Marijuana Time tracking hundreds of cannabis, psychedelic and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters by pledging at least $25/month, you’ll get access to our interactive maps, charts, and audio calendars so you never miss a development.

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The former attorney general’s new opinion says “the stakes couldn’t be higher”, arguing that “marijuana today is more dangerous than ever” and that it is “addictive”, throwing out a list of alleged harm to mental and physical health.

“These unhealthy effects are a predictable result of a powerful and addictive drug being normalized, commercialized and marketed as a medicine,” Barr and Sabet say. “It would be one thing if marijuana had medical value. But there is no credible evidence that marijuana is an effective treatment for any medical condition, despite the millions of dollars spent trying to prove otherwise.”

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) published a 252 analysis in 2023 that concluded that marijuana had accepted medical value and should be rescheduled.

The new opposition piece also says that “rescheduling would unlock enormous revenue for the corporate marijuana industry by bringing it into a category that has not been covered by a longstanding reduction in federal drug tax deductions,” referring to a law known as 280E, which repeals Sections I and II.

“This, in turn, would allow the industry to spend even more on advertising and marketing to young people,” Barr and Sabet. he wroteArguing that “those who would lose this dragon in society are laying the foundations for another Big Tobacco”.

The Sabet organization, SAM, is one of several parties Challenging the Marijuana Redistricting Process which have been upheld by a federal Court of Appeals. those separate parts State attorneys general have filed lawsuits against cannabis reform, Opponents of marijuana legalization and a a cannabis-based biopharmaceutical corporation.

SAM’s lawsuit was signed by attorneys at Torridon Law PLLC, where Barr is a partner.

The team announced in January that it was Hiring Barr’s firm to fight cannabis rescheduling After Trump signed an executive order directing officials to quickly complete the process.

During the first Trump administration, Barr was accused by a Justice Department official Directing improper anti-company investigations into multiple cannabis company mergers– Accounting for almost a third of the division’s cases in 2019.

Several Democratic members of Congress introduced a resolution calling for an investigation into Barr’s possible impeachment, saying “abused the power of his office” to improperly investigate marijuana businesses while engaging in other allegedly illegal conduct.

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How much red light does cannabis really need?

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2 months ago

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July 26, 2026

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When growers pull out two LED fixtures side by side, the first number they usually discuss is percent red. This is an easy specification to fix. They are efficient at producing red photons and incredibly efficient at photosynthesis, and cannabis eats away at the flower. So more red must be better, right?

Not so simple. Red is an input to a spectrum, and the spectrum is an input to a room. There is no single spectrum that wins everywhere. An indoor room pushes hard, a greenhouse that soaks up sunlight, a temperamental cultivar, and aggressive yields call for something different. Knowing what each light strip actually does allows you to choose a tool that fits your grow instead of one that just has a big number on the sales page.

© JumpLights

Blue: structure
Blue (approximately 400-500 nm) gives shape to the plant. It maintains dense growth, strong stems, tight internodes and allows it to develop as desired. It also encourages stomatal opening, so the plant manages water and gas exchange better. Get blue and you’ve built a plant that can carry heavy flowers with no problem.

Green: access
Green was eliminated as the wavelength is “reflected” by plants. It turns out that it does a real job. Blue and red are absorbed above; the green goes deep into the fat and reaches the leaves that are never touched by the above photons. In a compact room, it’s the difference between plants photosynthesising from the top down and those that work only from the top. Green won’t replace your red or blue, but it does carry usable light where they can’t reach.

Red: engine
Red is the horse of the flower. It absorbs as efficiently as anything in the spectrum, and is responsible for most of the biomass you’re after. Redder generally means faster flower development, more weight and better efficiency per watt.

But red has a ceiling, and it’s tied to what you run. Push PPFD upwards with a heavy red spectrum and some cultivars begin to whiten at the top: the flower should be dense with pale, washed tips. Genetics, intensity, barrel temperature and your general environment all feed into it. If you’re using aggressive light levels, a lower red spectrum will buy you room before that becomes a problem, leaving you almost no photosynthetic punch to get it.

Far Red: More than Emerson
Far-red (700-750 nm) appears in more devices every year. It contributes little to photosynthesis on its own, but it moves plant morphology and works with red through the Emerson Enhancement Effect. Used properly, it helps to deepen the light, encourage uniformity of the canopy and encourage the response of the bloom. The key word is small. A touch of far red rounds out a spectrum; he’s not there to make a show.

Matching the red percentage with the room
Cannabis addresses the entire spectrum, not a line on a spec sheet. Reds cause flowers, but blues, greens and crimsons give the plant something it needs. Where you land in red refers to how you grow.

A lower red spectrum (30-40%) captures more blue and green, gives you better morphology, reduces the risk of photobleaching, and holds up when you’re running extreme PPFD. Moderate spectrum (40-55%) is the sweet spot in commercial greenhouses: strong photosynthetic efficiency, strong flowering, balanced growth. A high-red spectrum (70%+) makes the most sense in a greenhouse, where the sun is already giving you lots of blue and green and your supplemental light can cast effective red to fill the gap.

Where does the ETS MAX series fit in?
This is the thinking behind the JumpLights ETS MAX series. Instead of forcing a spectrum into each room, it rarely comes up because a greenhouse and a high PPFD indoor flower room are not the same problem.

  • ETS MAX 4C41% red: for indoor rooms operating at very high intensity, where photobleaching is a real risk. The wider, red bottom balance allows you to push the tops without overcooking them
  • ETS MAX 4A48% red: balanced internal spectrum that maintains high output while controlling bleaching.
  • ETS MAX 5B57% Red: A high-performance indoor option. Moderate red, marked with efficiency and flower at the same time, up to 3,450 μmol/s, with efficiency that holds the spectrum.
  • ETS MAX 7A76% red: built for the greenhouse. The sun already supplies blue and green, so this leans heavily on the complementary red, up to 3,900 μmol/s in the infrastructure most greenhouses already have in place.

Bottom line
Choosing an activity is not a competition for the highest red number. The winning spectrum is the one that matches your environment, your intensity, your genetics, and what you’re trying to produce. Combine spectrum, intensity, environmental control, light distribution and genetics, and you’ve got a lighting strategy. Keep a spec isolated and all you’ve got is a bright room.

The ETS MAX line was created around this idea: choose the spectrum of the room you actually have, indoor or greenhouse, and let the device work with your grow rather than against it.

For more information:
JumpLights
www.jumplights.com

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