Portland, Maine, received 43 cannabis dispensary applications last month for the city’s 20 available retail licenses. However, a preliminary staff review has found a dozen of the applicants could be disqualified. Many applicants do not meet basic requirements such as paying city taxes and fees on time, according to the Portland Press Herald. At least 12 applicants could be disqualified for not having a conditional state cannabis license, being more than 30 days late on paying a local tax or fee in the last five years, having unresolved land-use violations, or planning to operate a dispensary too close to a school or in the wrong zoning district, the news outlet reported. Portland issued pre-denial letters to the disqualified applicants Sept. 25, according to the Portland Press Herald. The applicants have 10 days to challenge the disqualification. The city is still deciding how or if it will be able to use its scoring matrix to award the 20 dispensary licenses.
Cannabis Business Times, 09/29/2020 12:19:20