DE HB334

Establishes a licensing framework for marijuana establishments including retail stores, cultivation facilities, and product manufacturing facilities, with the Marijuana Commissioner beginning to accept applications September 1, 2024 and issuing licenses beginning October 1, 2024.

Creates "social equity applicants" category for individuals with 51% ownership who either resided 15 years in disproportionately-impacted areas or were convicted of marijuana-related offenses (with exceptions) prior to April 23, 2023, or have family members meeting these criteria.

Implements conditional licenses valid for 18 months allowing applicants to secure a physical location and become operational, with possible extension if good faith efforts demonstrated.

Restricts retail marijuana sales to specified hours (9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday-Saturday, noon to 8 p.m. Sunday) and prohibits sales on Thanksgiving, Easter, and Christmas, with municipalities over 50,000 population able to further limit hours by ordinance.

Adds retail marijuana tax provisions to Title 30 with 30-day protest periods for tax assessments and establishes Justice Reinvestment Fund to support social equity applicants with business expenses and reentry services.