Puerto Rico Cannabis License Guidelines

Puerto Rico Medical Cannabis Regulation Board

Licensing and Enforcement Criteria

The Medicinal Cannabis Regulatory Board (MCRB) is part of Puerto Rico’s Department of Health, which oversees the medical marijuana treatment program.

The MCRB authorizes medical marijuana cards to qualified patients and also:

  • Provides training and certification to physicians who wish to recommend medical cannabis
  • Regulates and authorizes medicinal cannabis establishments
  • Provides occupational licenses to those who want to work at a medicinal cannabis establishment

To be eligible for a cannabis license in Puerto Rico there are several criteria that must be met:

  • The applicant must be over twenty-one years of age or legally emancipated.
  • Submit a copy of your ID with a current photo of each applicant that will have participation greater than five percent (5%) in the business.
  • Show that fifty-one percent of the ownership belongs to legal residents of Puerto Rico.
  • Submit to a background check no further than three months from the date that the issued license, for each applicant holder who has a participation greater than five percent.
  • Not be subject to or have served a sentence for felony conviction under federal or state law relating to the possession, distribution, manufacture, cultivation or use of a controlled substance.

This is not a full list of prerequisites for consideration of a cannabis license.

Puerto Rico Cannabis Law & Compliance

Several laws and ordinances regulate the Puerto Rican legal cannabis industry, as well as the many different steps in the supply chain. These laws range over dispositions for cultivators, manufacturers, distributors and retail dispensaries. The most recent news can be found on these websites:

⇓

FAQs

I am not a resident of Puerto Rico and only have a five percent stake in the company, do I still need a background check?

Any person residing outside of Puerto Rico will have to submit a background check completed by a state or federal agency.  The background check must be submitted within three months of its completion.

Can I operate a 24-hour medical dispensary?

Medicinal Cannabis establishments may sell, dispatch or transport Medicinal Cannabis or a product infused with Medical Cannabis inside the hours of operation between 6:00 am and 10:00 pm, Monday through Sunday. The hours of operation of the establishment, as well as any change to the hours of operation must be notified to the MCRB.

I have an indoor cultivation center. Can I use windows to allow for natural light?

All indoor planting or cultivation must be carried out in a completely closed structure, covered, with rigid walls, without windows, or if there are any, these must be sealed and covered to avoid visibility and access from the outside and with doors that do not allow visibility from the exterior.

Can licensed labs analyze privately grown cannabis?

No, an authorized laboratory may only receive samples of medicinal cannabis or products of cannabis from a licensed cultivation center or dispensary.  Cannabis received from businesses  not authorized by the MCRB may not be analyzed or certified.

How long do records need to be kept for a medical cannabis dispensary?

Every Medicinal Cannabis establishment will keep all the books and records necessary to fully account for the commercial transactions carried out under its license for the current year and the five preceding calendar years.

Puerto Rico Cannabis License Types

Cultivation

License dedicated to cultivating, drying, cutting, curing or packing as part of the activities of cultivating medical cannabis for sale to a manufacturer or authorized dispensary.

Dispensary

License issued by the MCRB to buy cannabis from either a cultivator or a manufacturer to sell, supply, or provide cannabis to patients. Licensed dispensaries include all commercial property where cannabis is sold retail to patients or their licensed companions. Likewise, it includes the delivery service to authorized patients. Licensed dispensaries that close operations may not transfer cannabis to other licensed dispensaries without MCRB approval.

Laboratory

License issued by the Board that allows the holder of the same carry out evidence of control of quality, introduce the results of the tests, and report the results to the Board.

Manufacturing

License issued by the MCRB that allows the licensee to operate a licensed medical cannabis manufacturing establishment, buy cannabis from an authorized cultivation license holder or where you create and package cannabis products for sale and for transfer to a licensed dispensary.

Investigation

License issued by the MCRB for scientific research and development to entities that use cannabis for scientific research that are in compliance with the requirements of regulatory framework of the Government of Puerto Rico and the Federal Government.

Transport

License granted by the board to a person to store and transport medical cannabis and/or medical cannabis products between cultivation license holders, dispensaries, laboratories, manufacturing and research centers and development of authorized medical cannabis.

Copyright © 2024 Canoja Technologies |

Site by CannaPlanners