Rhode Island opens applications for 24 new recreational cannabis licenses

At the start of the Cannabis Control Commission’s monthly meeting Friday, Chairperson Kimberly Ahern announced that regulators are now accepting online applications for two dozen new retail cannabis licenses, with the submission window open through late December.

The 2022 law that legalized recreational cannabis authorized 24 new retail licenses, including six set aside for social equity applicants and another six for worker-owned cooperatives. The screening process for social equity applicants opened on Aug. 29. These applicants include individuals or businesses from communities disproportionately impacted by the War on Drugs, as identified in five Rhode Island municipalities.

As of Friday, Rhode Island Cannabis Administrator Michelle Reddish reported that 89 prospective social equity applicants had already applied, with certifications expected to wrap up in November.

All licenses will be distributed across six geographic zones, with no more than four stores allowed in each. Applications will be accepted until 4 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 29. Ahern added that the commission and Cannabis Office staff will provide technical assistance and guidance to prospective applicants.

The rollout of Rhode Island’s recreational cannabis market has been slow. More than a year passed before the three-member commission was seated and able to hire staff, research regulations from other states, and draft Rhode Island’s own rules. In the meantime, only the state’s seven pre-existing medical dispensaries, are permitted to sell recreational cannabis under hybrid licenses.

Those seven retailers generated $118 million in sales last year, according to state data, and brought in nearly $80 million through the end of August 2025.

The commission finalized its regulations in April, with the rules taking effect in May. Under those rules, applicants must first pass a screening process to confirm eligibility before entering a lottery in their designated zone.

Each application requires a $7,500 fee and an annual $30,000 licensing fee. However, the application fee will be waived for social equity applicants in their first year if approved.

Recreational cannabis licenses in RI.