Colorado Leads In Cannabis Compliance, Illinois Grapples With Licensing, Rhode Island Corrects Data

Colorado Achieves 99% Compliance Rate In Underage Cannabis Sales

Colorado has set a benchmark for compliance in the cannabis industry, achieving a 99 percent success rate in underage sales checks at state-licensed cannabis stores in the current year.

According to Marijuana Moment, the Colorado Department of Revenue's Marijuana Enforcement Division (MED) commends this accomplishment, underscoring its unwavering commitment to upholding public health and ensuring that cannabis remains inaccessible to minors.

The state's stringent regulatory framework, featuring mandatory identification checks and a "Responsible Vendor" certification program, has contributed to sustaining a positive compliance trend since 2016.

See Also: Cannabis Cash Flow: CT, MI, MO & CO Top $15B In Legal Weed Sales

Illinois Cannabis Sector Faces Hurdles: Only 10 Out of 87 Permits Operational

In stark contrast, Illinois faces substantial challenges in the cannabis sector. Despite the issuance of 87 craft cultivation marijuana business permits in 2021, only a fraction—10 to be precise—are presently operational.

This situation raises concerns about the efficacy of the Illinois Cannabis Business Development Fund, which has disbursed approximately $21 million to social equity entrepreneurs, falling short of its intended allocation of $34 million, reported the Illinois Answers Project. The financial barriers associated with cultivation licenses, with costs ranging from $5 million to $10 million, pose a formidable obstacle for aspiring entrepreneurs.

Further complicating matters is the restrictive 5,000-square-foot canopy limit, which fails to entice potential investors, despite an unsuccessful attempt to increase it to 14,000 square feet, per the Green Market Report.

See Also: EXCLUSIVE: MariMed CEO Discusses Evolving Illinois Cannabis Market, Rescheduling

Rhode Island Rectifies Cannabis Sales Data Discrepancies

In a more inconspicuous development, Rhode Island officials have rectified discrepancies in marijuana sales data dating back to December 2022. These disparities, at times exceeding substantial sums, were attributed to data-entry errors during the compilation of monthly reports.

As reported by Marijuana Moment, these errors primarily stemmed from consolidating data from the state's third-party track-and-trace software, Metrc.

Rhode Island authorities have since addressed and corrected the figures for the past 10 months while implementing measures to prevent similar inaccuracies in the future.

Read Next: Rhode Island, Michigan & Connecticut: A State-By-State Breakdown Of Cannabis Sales And Tax Revenues

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