A Green Wave

5 New States for Marijuana Licensing Mississippi, Arizona, New Jersey, South Dakota, and Montana

The nation was polarized on Election Day, but the clear winner across the country was legal marijuana. Signaling recognition of the failure of the War on Drugs, all progressive drug policy measures on state ballots across the country were approved. November’s victories brings a total of 15 states where adult-use is legal and 21 medical marijuana states. In states like New Jersey where there have been many past attempts to legalize, the measure enaction date is quickly approaching and the license application criteria are fully baked, including ways to score bonus points in the Garden State. In other states like Mississippi, time is given to state legislators to determine what they want that criteria to be. 

As lawmakers deliberate, Gateway Proven Strategies (GPS), using prior experience in other legal states, can both forecast and help shape regulatory requirements to prepare your business to compete. In this article, we’ll highlight what the new states’ legislation says and also outline general licensee qualifying criteria and trends to look for. In the four adult-use states and the two medical-use states, what does one need to enter these new, emerging markets and apply for a license?