How Zoning Controls Retail Cannabis Licensing in Rhode Island

Every cannabis business, regardless of the state in which operations will take place in, has to deal with zoning. Doesn’t matter if the business is for cultivation, manufacturing, or retail dispensing, or even adult use or medical, a cannabis business will have zoning hurdles. But what makes Rhode Island’s upcoming retail licenses is the exhaustive amount of information you should be aware about when it comes to zoning prior to application submission.

Zoning Requirements in the Application  

Based on the recently unveiled proposed rules from the Cannabis Control Commission,  not only will a proposed physical local for a cannabis establishment need to be identified, but the applicant will also need to submit evidence of full compliance of the facility with the local zoning laws. This compliance can be in the form of a certificate or letter from an authorized zoning official of the municipality confirming zoning compliance along with the receipt of all required final zoning approvals and certification by an authorized officer of the applicant as to compliance with any other applicable local ordinances.

When it comes to the application, and even being considered for licensure, you will therefore want to make sure that you have secured a facility for your cannabis establishment and make sure that said establishment meets local zoning requirements and that you can show proof of said local zoning compliance. This especially means that you have to start preparing early to make sure you have all your t’s crossed and i’s dotted so as to qualify for this high-bar application process.

Geographic Zones

Rhode Island has opted to create what is known as “geographic zones” as part of consideration for license issuance. Certain types of cannabis establishment licenses, such as these upcoming retail licenses, will be subject to these geographic zone restrictions. But what exactly are these geographic zones?

There will be four cannabis retail licenses available in each geographic zone during this initial round of licensing. An applicant who applies for any retail cannabis license may only submit one application per geographic zone. And an important note, a person or entity cannot be an interest holder for one applicant or application per zone, irrespective of license type. And say in the subsequent lottery that an applicant is selected for a license in more than one zone, the applicant then must select a single zone in which they will process with licensing. Each application for each zone is a separate application and separate application fee and will need to be properly identified as such in the application process.

What are these zones specifically? Below is a detailed list of these six geographic zones.

• Zone 1— Burrillville, Cumberland, Glocester, North Smithfield, Smithfield, Woonsocket
• Zone 2—Johnston, Lincoln, North Providence, Central Falls, Providence
• Zone 3—Coventry, Foster, Scituate, West Greenwich, West Warwick
• Zone 4—East Greenwich, North Kingstown, Cranston, Warwick
• Zone 5—Charlestown, Exeter, Hopkinton, Narragansett, Richmond, South Kingstown, Westerly
• Zone 6—Barrington, Bristol, Jamestown, Little Compton, Middletown, New Shoreham, Portsmouth, Tiverton, Warren, East Providence, Newport, Pawtucket

What Can I Do to Prepare?

Your immediate task is to assess where you can reasonably secure a property for the application and where you can meet local zoning requirements. If you have flexibility in location, you can look at the number of licenses given in each zone and assess the overall probability of securing a license based on application competition.

For example, zone 4 has a population of just over 208,000 in its four cities and towns. Compare that with zone 1 which has a population of around 141,000, a 67,000-person difference. While an retail license winner in zone 4 may have a higher density of residents and larger foot traffic, they may have steeper competition in the application phase, and risk not being selected in the lottery itself, for an arguably more “desirable” license based on the location than an applicant applying for licensure in zone 1.

These are factors to consider prior to licensure and you’ll want to put your best foot forward when it comes to submitting in Rhode Island. Luckily, if you work with Canna Advisors, you’ll be in good hands and we can assess your financial, business, and licensing needs to set you on the path towards licensure and success.