Legislative and Licensing Update: July 28, 2021
New dispensary license lottery in Illinois, rules expected in New Jersey, medical license winners announced in Georgia, plus cannabis news from Arkansas, Rhode Island, Montana, and Connecticut, 7 more states, and the federal level.
Photo by Lance Anderson on Unsplash
Illinois will hold three lotteries to award new licenses for dispensaries, the first of which will be July 29. Notices regarding scores and the process were sent to applicants today. For craft growers, 40 licenses were awarded thus far, all to veteran applicants and scores are not set to be out until December. Another 60 craft grower licenses are to be awarded before December 21, 2021.
New Jersey limited rules are expected to be out on or around August 21 and license applications about a month later, or September 20, 2021. Also, localities are making decisions on whether to allow cannabis in their jurisdiction, which they need to figure out by August 21.
Georgia regulators released medical cannabis license winners on Saturday, July 24.
Mississippi lawmakers are set to begin formal negotiations this week on a medical cannabis bill to replace the voter-approved program that was overturned by the state Supreme Court, and they could pass it in an August special session.
Arkansas is issuing two new licenses possibly through a new application process.
Rhode Island regulators again delayed a lottery to award new medical cannabis dispensary licenses. They can’t find a third party to run the lottery for fear of litigation.
Montana regulators proposed rules on medical cannabis, marijuana canopy tier increases and advertising limits.
Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont (D) appointed members to the new marijuana Social Equity Council, which will oversee the regulatory program.
Virginia Governor Ralph Northam announced appointments to the three newly-created boards responsible for overseeing legalization.
California’s Department of Cannabis Control is now live and regulators have named a leadership team for the new Department.
The Utah Department of Health tentatively plans on posting the Request for Proposals (RFP) to be the 15th Medical Cannabis Pharmacy in Utah by the end of August 2021.
Alabama’s full 14-member Medical Cannabis Commission has now been appointed.
Florida enacted new rules for medical cannabis recommendations. We’ll be keeping an eye out for rules to come.
Ohio representatives are preparing to file a first-of-its-kind bill to legalize marijuana possession and sales in the state.
Denver, Colorado regulators granted the city’s first marijuana delivery permit.
Federal update on the marijuana legalization bill here.