Licensing

The Detroit City Council delayed voting on its adult-use cannabis regulations again due to an ongoing debate around its social equity licensing provisions.

Tetra Lounge in Denver received the city’s first social equity cannabis hospitality license and intends to have a consumption lounge open for business by 4/20.

New Jersey cannabis officials opened a permanent application window for adult-use cannabis retailers this week.

Illinois won a court order this week to begin issuing new cannabis industry licenses after years of delays; the state also simplified the application process to make social equity cannabis licenses more attainable for communities most affected by the drug war.

Russian oligarch Andrey Muraviev was charged this week by U.S. officials with making illegal political contributions to curry favor with candidates who could help him acquire cannabis industry licenses.

Applicants with prior cannabis-related offenses will receive New York’s first adult-use retail cannabis licenses.

Oregon’s Jackson and Josephine counties will temporarily stop licensing new hemp growers after declaring a local state of emergency regarding cannabis.

Michigan’s Marijuana Regulatory Agency has implemented changes to lower cannabis industry license application fees and remove license renewal fee tiers.

Connecticut’s Social Equity Council has established the household income levels for social equity applicants within the state.

Six medical cannabis cultivators who received licenses from the state eight months ago are being prevented from launching their cannabis grows due to lawsuits by companies that were not chosen for a license.

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) recently indicated that adult-use cannabis sales could launch in the state within the next few weeks.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) signed a bill into law creating conditional adult-use licenses for current hemp cultivators in the state.

Lawmakers in the Washington House on Tuesday failed to pass a bill to improve the state’s cannabis social equity considerations.

New York lawmakers passed a bill to let hemp cultivators and processors obtain early conditional licenses for the state’s adult-use cannabis program.

The New Mexico Senate approved an amendment to the state’s cannabis regulation bill to no longer require cannabis producers and manufacturers to prove they have water rights for their businesses.

The Virginia Senate passed a bill on Tuesday that would let adult-use cannabis sales begin on September 15 but limit licenses to the state’s current medical cannabis companies.

Ascend Wellness Holdings is countering MedMen’s claims that they held undue influence with New York’s Gov. Kathy Hochul’s administration during a legal fight about a company takeover.

New York is on track to release its proposed cannabis industry regulations in May, which would ready the state to accept license applications later this year.

Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) signaled that he supports the push to reform the state’s medical cannabis laws and crack down on illegal operations.

The Mississippi Department of Health will begin accepting applications for medical cannabis business licenses and patient applications in June.

An Arkansas judge has blocked officials from issuing the state’s last two cannabis dispensary licenses until a lawsuit alleging racial bias in the application process can be heard.

The Illinois Supreme Court blocked an appeal by a prospective craft cannabis licensee asking the court to lift the state’s hold on new cannabis industry licenses.

Idaho has started to issue hemp licenses and, as the last state in the U.S. to legalize hemp, its producers are looking at the crop as a major economic opportunity.

Connecticut will start accepting applications for adult-use cannabis licenses next month. The first licenses will be for cultivators and retailers seeking social equity licenses.