Frequently Asked Questions - Adult-Use Retail License Application
Adult Use Retail License Application Frequently Asked Questions
Last Updated: 9/17/2025
- Will Workers’ Cooperative Retail License applicants need to show that the applicant is in fact structured as a worker-owned entity?
Yes. At the application phase, a Workers’ Cooperative applicant will need to be structured as and meet the requirements of Chapter 6.2 of Title 7, the Rhode Island statute governing Workers’ Cooperatives.
- Is there a specific amount of capital or money that an applicant must have or demonstrate at the time of application?
No. However, at the time of application, applicants are required to provide a detailed description of the amount and source of equity, debt, and operating capital, including financial statements or other documentation establishing the source of any funds.
- Is a contingent lease sufficient to satisfy the proposed physical location site control requirement?
A lease with an effective date contingent upon being selected for a license is sufficient to satisfy site control at the application phase. The lease must allow the operation of a cannabis establishment on the property, cannot be at a shared location with another licensee and must afford the applicant exclusive rights to the property. As such, no more than one applicant can demonstrate such rights at a single location.
- If more than one applicant holds a contingent lease for the same property, is site control satisfied, or will this disqualify one or both applicants?
Since an applicant must have exclusive rights to their proposed cannabis establishment property, no more than one applicant can hold a lease for the same physical location, whether they have a contingent lease or a regular lease. If multiple applicants provide leases for the same physical property, the applications may be disqualified for not being able to demonstrate the site control requirement. It is the responsibility of each applicant to ensure that no other leases exist for the same proposed physical property.
- Will the random selection process, or lottery, occur at the same time for all three retail license categories?
The Commission intends to conduct the selection process for all three retail license types—general, social equity, and workers’ cooperative—in close proximity, at a time and date that will be announced. Please continue to check our website and sign up for our email list to know when each selection process will take place.
- Can I submit letter of intent to lease or to purchase a property to satisfy the requirement of a proposed physical location for my cannabis establishment?
No. A letter of intent is not sufficient to satisfy the site control requirement. Only an executed lease or document evidencing property ownership will satisfy the site control requirement at the application phase.
- Do I need a background check, often referred to as NCIC, prior to applying for an adult use retail license?
Individuals will have to attest that they have no disqualifying offenses at the application stage, and all interest holders or key persons as defined in 560-RICR-10-10-1, § 1.2(A)(12) will need to complete the NCIC as a requirement of licensure.