Rhode Island Opens Retail Cannabis Licensing Applications

Rhode Island regulators have opened the application process for 24 new adult-use cannabis retail licenses, with the window remaining open through December.

Six licenses are reserved for social equity applicants – individuals and communities disproportionately impacted by past cannabis prohibition – and another six are designated for worker-owned cooperatives. Eligible areas for social equity applicants include parts of Providence, Central Falls, Pawtucket, Woonsocket, and Newport.

The licenses will be distributed across six geographic zones, with no more than four per zone, and will be awarded through a lottery.

Currently, recreational cannabis sales are limited to seven hybrid medical dispensaries, which generated $118 million in 2023 and about $80 million through August of this year.

Application fees are $7,500, with an annual license fee of $30,000. Social equity applicants will have their application fee waived for the first year.