Licensing

An on-site consumption plan by Illinois Supply and Provisions in Springfield, Illinois has been approved by the city council; it’s the first time in the state that on-site cannabis consumption was approved by a municipality.

High Times has signed a deal to purchase dispensary licenses in Los Angeles and Las Vegas; the company plans to open two flagship stores that will sell local Cannabis Cup award-winning strains.

Weedmaps has unlisted 2,700 unlicensed cannabis dispensaries since January 1; the company had received a cease-and-desist letter from California regulators last year.

Utah health officials have announced the 14 locations that will house the state’s first medical cannabis pharmacies.

A Missouri lawsuit is challenging the state’s cap on medical cannabis licenses, arguing that the cap violates the state’s Right to Farm Act passed in 2014.

The application process for West Virginia medical cannabis cultivator, processor, and dispensary business licenses is launching this Thursday, nearly three years after state lawmakers first approved the reforms.

Pasadena, California has won a lawsuit against its own city clerk after they approved a successful but unconstitutional ballot initiative that would have grandfathered in dispensaries who were operating before the city’s strict licensing rules took effect.

Ontario will do away with the current cap on cannabis retail stores in January and is expected to open an application period for new private cannabis retailers starting January 6, 2020.

Green Leaf Health Inc. has reached a “host community agreement” with North Attleboro, Massachusetts. It will be the first cannabis company licensed for adult-use sales in the city.

California cannabis and CBD product manufacturer Kushy Punch has had its state cannabis license revoked over the alleged use of an unlicensed facility.

Humboldt County regulators are considering a plan to offer tax incentives for small and efficient cannabis farms that can meet energy, infrastructure, and footprint standards.

Illinois officials have awarded the state’s first adult-use retailer licenses — 14 dispensaries received “same-site” licenses, meaning they will be allowed to open their existing medical cannabis stores to anyone 21+.

California regulators suspended 394 cannabis business permits amid an ongoing crackdown on unlicensed operators; the suspensions include retailers, distributors, delivery services, and microbusinesses who were not seed-to-sale compliant.

The Massachusetts municipalities of Eastham, Great Barrington, Leicester, Newton, Northampton, and Uxbridge have all been subpoenaed by U.S. Attorney Andrew Lelling over potential cannabis industry bribes.

Los Angeles’ latest cannabis retail licensing round was thrown into turmoil this week after City Council President Herb Wesson called on regulators to stop issuing licenses and to launch an independent audit of the system.

Michigan regulators will begin accepting business license applications starting this Friday, November 1st.

Cannabis regulators in Maryland plan to hire private firms to investigate the state’s licensing review process and to verify information contained in the applications submitted by high-ranking businesses.

The Texas medical cannabis dispensary applications portal was shut down without warning after just one week on the Texas Department of Public Safety’s website.

The first adult-use cultivation licenses have been awarded in Illinois; shops are expected to open their doors to adult-use customers on January 1, 2020.

Maryland’s latest medical cannabis licensing round has been delayed due to an allegedly flawed application process that blocked many applicants from submitting all of the necessary materials on time.

Because of Massachusetts’ host community rules and a general lack of funds, social equity applicants in the state are unable to compete fairly with larger, better-funded cannabis firms, according to Cannabis Control Commission Chairman Steven Hoffman.

Almost half of Ontario, Canada’s 42 cannabis license applicants in the second round of the licensing lottery have been disqualified for breaking rules and for failing to submit all of the required documents.

The city council in Springfield, Massachusetts has launched an investigation into a $200,000 donation made by a cannabis company to determine if the payment could be a bribe.

Jasiel Correia, the mayor of Fall River, Massachusetts, was arrested this morning and charged with extorting state-licensed cannabis companies.