Home Economy Economic Activity Cannabis commission approves license transfer; social equity license vendor

Cannabis commission approves license transfer; social equity license vendor

By

Christopher Allen

-

07/18/2025

Brock — THE CANNABIS CONTROL COMMISSION on Friday awarded a $120,000 contract to Creative Services Inc. to assist with crafting the application process for Social Equity licenses. The panel also approved the transfer of the hybrid retail and cultivator license held by Greenleaf Compassionate Care Center to Ocean State Controlled Botanicals LLC. Pictured is Seth Brock, CEO Greenleaf Compassionate Care Center. / PBN FILE PHOTO/KATE WHITNEY LUCEY

WARWICK – The R.I. Cannabis Control Commission has approved the transfer of the compassion center license held by Portsmouth-based Greenleaf Compassionate Care Center. Cultivator Ocean State Botanicals LLC will obtain the license and adopt the name “Newport Cannabis Co.” Ocean State Botanicals, doing business as Hangar 420, is controlled by Octavius Prince, a prominent entrepreneur

Already a Subscriber? Log in

To Continue Reading This Article

Become a Providence Business News subscriber and get immediate access to all of our premier content and much more.

Learn More and Become a Subscriber

Critical RI business news and analysis updated daily.
1 year of print (26 issues).
Unlimited access to all subscriber only content on our website, on any device.
Free email alerts.
Annual Book of Lists Print Edition.
All special issues produced during subscription term.

Click Here to purchase a paywall bypass link for this article

PBN Branded Content

Small Office, Big Impact: Rhode Island Health Care Association Upgrades to Energy-Efficient Lighting

For many small businesses and nonprofit organizations, relatively simple upgrades can deliver meaningful savings while…

Learn More

No posts to display

LEAVE A REPLY Cancel reply

WARWICK – The R.I. Cannabis Control Commission has approved the transfer of the compassion center license held by Portsmouth-based Greenleaf Compassionate Care Center. Cultivator Ocean State Botanicals LLC will obtain the license and adopt the name “Newport Cannabis Co." Ocean State Botanicals, doing business as Hangar 420, is controlled by Octavius Prince, a prominent entrepreneur and investor. During its regular meeting Friday, the commission also approved the transfer of Ocean State Botanicals's cultivator license and all ownership interests to the separate entity Reborn Roots LLC, owned by Brent VanZile, the former director of cultivation for Greenleaf. Majority owners are prohibited from holding both a compassion center license and Class B hybrid cultivator license. The vertically integrated Greenleaf Compassionate Care Center  Inc., one of the first medical marijuana dispensaries in Rhode Island, was placed into receivership last year and has been up for sale while it continues to operate. Attorney Nicholas J. Hemond, who was appointed Greenleaf’s receiver, previously told Providence Business News that the nonprofit and its CEO Seth Bock had a $10 million purchase offer in 2019 that fell through. They recently agreed to sell Greenleaf for $5.5 million. Commission Chairwoman Kimberly Ahern said that while the agenda items presented a “unique” situation given that the receivership process first needed to be settled in R.I. Superior Court, "these are all facilities we are well aware of,” she said. In a separate vote, the commission awarded a $120,000 contract to Mansfield, Mass.-based Creative Services Inc. to assist with crafting documentation and eligibility requirements for applicants seeking to secure one of the six Social Equity Licenses available under state law. The scope of work includes the creation of a secure "user-friendly" application system, said R.I. Cannabis Office Administrator Michelle Reddish, adding the firm was selected in part for its experience working with government regulatory agencies in several other states. She expected the work to be "seamless." According to its website, the full-service employment screening and security consulting company was founded in 1976 as a small private investigation firm. Christopher Allen is a PBN staff writer. You may contact him at Allen@PBN.com.