Know when a state opens cannabis licenses, and what your real estate needs before you apply.

Open and Upcoming Rounds

As of October 30, 2026. Windows change. Always confirm with the regulator before you rely on a date.

Rhode Island

• License type: Adult-use cannabis retail (up to 24 licenses, 4 per zone across 6 zones, chosen by random selection)

• Window: Portal opened Aug 7, 2026. Closes Nov 23, 2026 at 4:00 PM ET.

• Real estate requirement: Final local zoning approval by the deadline, with no zoning relief. An executed lease (contingent is OK), a purchase and sale agreement, or ownership. A letter of intent is not enough. One applicant per property, and the landlord's bank must permit the use.

New York

• License type: Adult-use nursery

• Window: Opens Nov 5, 2026 at 10:00 AM ET for the first 50 applications. $1,000 fee.

• Real estate requirement: Proof of control of the location: an executed deed or lease, or an option to buy or lease.

Nebraska

• License type: Medical cannabis manufacturer (up to 4)

• Window: Open through Dec 14, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. CT. Applications must be updated and resubmitted once new permanent rules take effect. Dispensary applications have not opened and are pending legislative action.

• Real estate requirement: See the Commission's application form and confirm local zoning before you file.

Virginia

• License type: Adult-use retail (up to 350 licenses)

• Window: Not open yet. The Cannabis Control Authority's timeline targets final regulations in December 2026, some applications by Feb 1, 2027, initial licenses by May 1, 2027, and sales starting July 1, 2027.

• Real estate requirement: Per counsel summaries of HB 30, lottery winners get preliminary approval first, then 18 months (plus one possible 6 month extension) to submit a site. Retail must be at least 1,000 feet from schools, higher education institutions, hospitals, and child day programs, and must meet local zoning.

New Mexico

• License type: Retail and other cannabis licenses through NM-PLUS

• Window: No fixed window posted. Applications are filed online.

• Real estate requirement: Local business license with zoning approval and a fire inspection for the premises.

South Dakota

• License type: Medical cannabis establishments

• Window: Rolling, except in cities or counties that cap the number of establishments.

• Real estate requirement: Local government certification (Form E) that the location complies with local zoning.

California (City of Los Angeles)

• License type: Cultivation

• Window: Opened to all applicants Oct 19, 2026, first come, first served by Community Plan Area. Retail is limited to Social Equity applicants through Dec 31, 2031.

• Real estate requirement: The site must sit in a Community Plan Area that still has room under the city's concentration limits.

Arizona

• License type: Medical dispensary registration certificate (one for Apache County, one for La Paz County)

• Window: No application window posted as of Oct 30, 2026. ADHS posts the window at least 30 calendar days ahead, and it runs 10 working days.

• Real estate requirement: A location in that county that meets state and local siting rules, including the 500 foot buffer from schools, child care, and preschool facilities. The dispensary must open within 18 months.

Why real estate sinks more applications than paperwork

Forms can be fixed. A building that does not qualify cannot. Three problems come up again and again.

Site control

Most rounds want proof that you control the property on the day you file. Rhode Island, for example, requires an executed lease, a purchase agreement, or ownership, and says a letter of intent is not enough. New York's nursery round asks for a deed, a lease, or an option. If you wait for the window to open before you lock up a site, you are often already late.

Zoning and setbacks

States set minimum buffers, and cities and counties add their own rules on top. Arizona bars dispensaries within 500 feet of a school, child care facility, or preschool, and lets local governments limit marijuana businesses to certain zones, cap their number, or ban them. Rhode Island wants final zoning approval by the deadline. A building that is perfect on paper can be off the table because of a daycare down the street.

Landlord consent

Your landlord has to agree to the use in writing, and their lender may have a say too. Rhode Island's FAQ says the property owner's bank must permit the use. Many owners have mortgage or insurance terms that limit cannabis tenants, so ask early.

What subscribers get

• A short email when a round opens or is announced, with the state, the license type, the dates, and a link to the regulator.

• The real estate requirements in plain English: site control, zoning, setbacks, and anything the landlord must sign.

• Deadline reminders before a window closes.

• Corrections when rules change. If a date moves or a bill dies, you will hear about it.

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About Kyle

Kyle Gere is a Realtor® with Bronson Real Estate, licensed with HomeSmart. Kyle tracks cannabis license rounds and the property rules behind them, and helps operators, investors, and property owners find, vet, and secure sites that can pass a state and local review.

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Sources (as of October 30, 2026)

• Rhode Island Cannabis Control Commission, adult-use application page: https://ccc.ri.gov/auapp

• Rhode Island CCC, application FAQ (updated Sept 18, 2026): https://ccc.ri.gov/media/3271/download

• New York Office of Cannabis Management, adult-use nursery guidance: https://cannabis.ny.gov/au-nursery

• New York OCM, adult-use nursery license summary: https://cannabis.ny.gov/system/files/documents/2026/10/ocm_nurserylicense.pdf

• Kaufman McGowan, "New York's Cannabis Nursery License Window": https://kaufmanmcgowan.com/new-yorks-cannabis-nursery-license-window-what-applicants-need-to-know/

• Nebraska Medical Cannabis Commission, How to Apply: https://mcc.nebraska.gov/how-to-apply

• Virginia Cannabis Control Authority, retail marijuana market: https://cca.virginia.gov/retailmarijuanamarket

• Vicente LLP, Virginia retail licensing framework: https://vicentellp.com/insights/virginia-retail-cannabis-legalization-final-licensing-framework-and-key-deadlines-for-2026-applicants/

• New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department, apply for a license: https://www.rld.nm.gov/cannabis/licensing/new-applications/apply-for-license/

• South Dakota Administrative Rules 44:90:03:10 and 44:90:03:12: https://sdlegislature.gov/Rules/Administrative/44:90:03

• City of Los Angeles Department of Cannabis Regulation, licensing information: https://cannabis.lacity.gov/licensing-compliance/licensing-information/general-information

• Arizona Department of Health Services, dispensary certificate allocation: https://www.azdhs.gov/licensing/medical-marijuana/index.php#dispensary-certificate-allocation

• Ariz. Admin. Code R9-17-303: https://www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/arizona/Ariz-Admin-Code-SS-R9-17-303

• A.R.S. § 36-2804 (500 foot buffer): https://www.azleg.gov/ars/36/02804.htm

• A.R.S. § 36-2857 (local authority): https://www.azleg.gov/ars/36/02857.htm

• A.R.S. § 36-2803.01 (18 month opening rule): https://www.azleg.gov/ars/36/02803-01.htm

This page is general information, not legal advice. Confirm every requirement with the regulator and your own counsel before you apply.

Kyle Gere, Realtor®, Bronson Real Estate, licensed with HomeSmart.