A Dozen Applications for Portland’s Cannabis Retail Licenses Could Be Disqualified

Portland, Maine, received 43 cannabis dispensary applications last month for the city’s 20 available retail licenses, but a preliminary staff review has found that a dozen of the applicants could be disqualified for not meeting basic requirements such as paying city taxes and fees on time, according to the Portland Press Herald.

The 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, and 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, the news outlet reported.

Although Portland approved its local cannabis ordinance in May, its residency bonus for license applicants who have lived in Maine for at least four years was challenged in court by non-local cannabis operator Wellness Connection of Maine, and a federal judge ruled last month that Portland cannot prioritize local businesses in its licensing process.