A U.S. District Court judge last week issued a preliminary injunction against the issuance of Rhode Island cannabis licenses due to the state’s residency requirements for retailers. The Rhode Island Current reports. The order from Judge Melissa DuBose blocks the state Cannabis Control Commission (CCC) from holding a lottery to award 20 new cannabis licenses or even reviewing applications.
Charon Rose, a spokesperson for the CCC, told the Current that currently, “the commission is not in a position to provide a definitive timeline” in the wake of the order, but that “additional guidance would be provided as it becomes available.”
In a statement, Co-op Rhody, which works with co-ops seeking cannabis licenses in the state, said the injunction “poses serious financial harm for applicants, who face compounding monthly costs just to remain candidates in a lottery with no guaranteed timeline.”
“We cannot continue to delay the opportunity for market participation while a handful of incumbent operators benefit from artificial scarcity and less advantaged applicants suffer from costly delays. The CCC must do everything in its power to expedite the licensing process and set a firm lottery date in short order that applicants, workers, investors, and cultivators can depend on.” — Co-op Rhody in a statement
The legal challenge to the state’s retail cannabis residency rules began in 2024 when a California entrepreneur sued the CCC over the requirements. A Florida resident also filed a lawsuit in 2024, followed by a second California resident in 2025. The lawsuits contend the residency rules violate interstate commerce protections.
