NORTH CAROLINA

Cannabis Supplier License: An entity licensed to grow, cultivate, produce, or sell cannabis or cannabis-infused products. By establishing or operating a medical cannabis center a licensee may sale cannabis, cannabis-infused products, and paraphernalia relating to the administration of cannabis to qualified patients.

• The state will issue up to 10 Cannabis Supplier Licenses
• Medical cannabis center (dispensary): A facility owned and operated by a licensed Cannabis Supplier that possesses and dispenses cannabis and cannabis-infused products to registered patients.
  • Each Cannabis Supplier may not own and operate more than 8 medical cannabis centers (which will result in no more than 80 dispensaries statewide).
  • Each supplier must operate at least one medical cannabis center in a Tier 1 county.
    • For the purposes of this section, “Tier 1 county” shall mean the 2023 County Tier Designations published by the North Carolina Department of Commerce.
  • A medical cannabis center shall not be located within 1,000 linear feet of the property line of any of the following places:
    • A church
    • A child care facility
    • A public school unit or any nonpublic school
    • A community college or the facilities of The University of North Carolina and the grounds of those facilities
  • Non-refundable Cannabis Supplier License Fee is $50,000 and $5,000 for each production facility or medical cannabis center the applicant proposes to operate under the license.
  • In awarding the licenses, the Commission shall consider the following criteria through a competitive merit-based application process:
    • Priority shall be given to any supplier who commits to establishing a medical cannabis center in more than one Tier 1 county.
    • Priority shall be given to any supplier who commits to establishing the eight allowed medical cannabis centers in a manner that demonstrates a commitment to ensure the equitable distribution of medical cannabis centers throughout the State
  • Residency requirements: State resident for at least 2 years that is the majority owner of each center/facility under the license.

 

Testing Laboratory: An entity licensed to test cannabis and cannabis-infused products that are to be sold in the state. Independent testing laboratories shall analyze a representative sample of all cannabis or cannabis-infused products before the sale or transfer to a medical cannabis center by a production facility. An independent test

• 5 independent testing laboratories are to be licensed
• No individual who owns, operates, has a direct or indirect financial interest in, or is employed by an independent testing laboratory shall own, operate, have a direct or indirect financial interest in, or be employed by a supplier, a production facility, or a medical cannabis center.