The Cannabis Control Commission on Wednesday released their much-anticipated draft regulations for expanding the retail market, but not without renewed debate among the three commissioners over the process of selecting qualified applicants for 24 planned future stores.
The commission plans to use what it calls a two-step "hybrid" method, where only those applicants it deems properly prepared to run a cannabis store will then qualify to enter a license lottery.
Commissioner Robert Jacquard reiterated his concern that license selection should be based on proven "merit," to avoid unqualified applicants being given the same chance for a retail license as others who are more experienced.
For instance, Jacquard noted that three of the proposed regulations only require store license applicants to have a business plan, a safety and security plan and an operations manual.
Read more at The Providence Journal