City finalizes licensing, application requirements, and process for medical cannabis establishments

RAPID CITY, S.D. (KOTA) - The Rapid City Communications Division has released a statement about the Rapid City Council’s approval of an ordinance for medical marijuana which includes licensing procedures and the application submittal requirements for potentially qualifying establishments

This Saturday the ordinance is set to take effect.

“After several months of work between the City’s legal, planning and finance departments, after monitoring and reviewing the efforts of the state in establishing its set of rules and after approval of the ordinance by the City Council, we are ready to take the next big step in the process,” said Deputy City Attorney Carla Cushman. “Starting Monday, a very thorough and detailed application process begins involving several City departments and the State of South Dakota.

The City’s statement includes facts in the new ordinance as they pertain to the cultivation, manufacturing, testing facilities, and dispensaries necessary application procedures to obtain permission to legally work with and sell medical-grade marijuana to those with prescriptions from a doctor. The ordinance also sets a limit om dispensary licenses based on the population numbers gleaned from the 2020 Census, and it sets operational procedures for establishments including application and license fees.

“This review process is necessary in determining the granting of a provisional license by the City, the granting of a certification registration by the State and the ultimate issuance of a license by the City,” said Cushman.

The provisional requirements set forth in the application packets include the mandatory submissions of completed license applications from applicants that include all required documents and an application fee of $1,500 to the City’s Finance Office. Incomplete applications will not be accepted.

For more information on the City’s application process, visit the City’s website at www.rcgov.org with additional information. Once on the site, go directly to the ‘Medical Cannabis Establishments Applications & Procedures’ tab on the Community Development page.