Cities, states weigh cannabis rule changes

Several cities and state regulators are weighing expanded cannabis sales and service hours. Peoria’s City Council delayed a decision on allowing dispensary drive-thru service by special-use permit, with the mayor citing uncertainty about potential public-safety effects; staff recommend keeping closing times at 10 p.m. Springfield’s council approved an amendment requiring dispensaries to obtain planning and zoning approval before extending drive-thru sales to 1:30 a.m., though a councilman warned later hours could create traffic and safety problems. A dispensary co-founder argued that later sales would help licensed businesses compete with illicit sellers, while acknowledging that research cited in the debate did not establish whether longer hours would change purchasing behavior. Separately, Rhode Island’s Cannabis Control Commission expanded permitted delivery hours to 7 a.m.–11 p.m., up from 8 a.m.–8 p.m.