Federal judge set to lift injunction blocking RI cannabis retail licenses

Rhode Island's stalled cannabis licensing process appears poised to restart after court moves toward dissolving earlier restraining order.

FILE — statehouse · B.D. Gilfry / CC BY-SA 2.0

A federal judge is on track to dissolve an injunction that has halted Rhode Island's cannabis retail licensing since April, according to reporting by Rhode Island Current. The injunction, issued roughly three months ago, froze the distribution of retail permits and suspended the state's social equity licensing effort amid legal disputes over the licensing framework.

Rhode Island's Cannabis Control Commission and state lawmakers have spent the intervening months addressing the legal challenges. In May, lawmakers considered licensing law changes; by early July, Rhode Island argued that a newly enacted law should allow the application process to restart. The Senate also confirmed a Cannabis Control Commission chair in June, suggesting administrative groundwork for relaunching retail licensing.

If the injunction is dissolved as expected, retailers could resume their pursuit of permits—potentially months behind the original rollout schedule. Watch for the judge's formal order and any immediate next steps from the state licensing body to resume accepting or processing applications.