The proposed bill would update current statutes by introducing a new section, 36-2857.01, which establishes a "rural opportunity initiative" aimed at enhancing economic opportunities in unserved rural communities. This initiative would allow the Department of Health Services (DHS) to issue up to 18 marijuana establishment licenses and nonprofit medical marijuana dispensary registration certificates, with stipulations that these licenses be tied to fixed communities that have not opted out. The bill also mandates that retail sites can only be relocated to other unserved rural areas and requires DHS to maintain a public website with relevant information about the initiative. In addition to the new initiative, the bill proposes procedural updates to the application process for licenses and registration certificates. It requires electronic submission of applications with timestamping, sets deadlines for DHS responses, and establishes criteria for complete applications. The bill specifies that no more than one license can be issued per property address and that the first consent form submitted by a landowner is the only valid one. Overall, these updates aim to improve access to marijuana services in rural areas while ensuring regulatory compliance and community involvement, while removing outdated language from current law.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 36-2803.01, 36-2854, 36-2857.01, 32-1929, 36-2854.01, 4-241, 36-2816, 36-2856, 41-192