(a) The Commissioner may not grant a license under this chapter in any county or subdivision thereof, if granting a license is contrary to the law of any municipality or county adopted under § 1351 of this title.

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(b) The Commissioner may refuse to license an applicant if the Commissioner has substantial evidence that would reasonably support a belief that any of the following apply:

(1) There are sufficient licensed premises in the municipality or county, or the granting of a license in the municipality or county stated in the application is not otherwise demanded by public interest or convenience.

(2) The applicant is financially irresponsible.

(3) The applicant has made false statements to the Commissioner.

(4) The applicant, including any of the applicant’s directors or officers, or any of the applicant’s shareholders who hold more than 10% of the outstanding issued shares, has been convicted of an offense that may impact the qualifications, functions, or duties of the business or profession for which the application is made, except that if the Commissioner determines that the applicant is otherwise suitable to be issued a license, and granting the license would not compromise public safety, the Commissioner shall conduct a thorough review of the nature of the crime, conviction, circumstances, and evidence of rehabilitation of the applicant, and shall evaluate the suitability of the applicant to be issued a license based on the evidence found through the review. In determining which offenses may impact the qualifications, functions, or duties of the business or profession for which the application is made, the Commissioner shall include the following:

a. A violent Title 11 or Title 31 felony conviction as defined in § 4201(c) of Title 11 or its functional equivalent under the laws of the United States, any state or territory of the United States, or any other country.

b. Any class A through C felony conviction as defined in Title 11 or its functional equivalent under the laws of the United States, any state or territory of the United States, or any other country.

c. Any felony conviction regarding an offense against public administration as defined in subchapter VI, Chapter 5 of Title 11 or its functional equivalent under the laws of the United States, any state or territory of the United States, or any other country.

d. A felony conviction for hiring, employing, or using a minor in transporting, carrying, selling, giving away, preparing for sale, or peddling, any controlled substance to a minor; or selling, offering to sell, furnishing, offering to furnish, administering, or giving any controlled substance to a minor.

e. Any felony conviction as defined in Chapter 47 of Title 16 or its equivalent under the laws of the United States, any state or territory of the United States, or any other country.

f. Any felony conviction as defined in Chapter 5 of Title 30 or its equivalent under the laws of the United States, any state or territory of the United States, or any other country.

(5) A substantial objection to the granting of the license has been presented by the community within which the license is to operate, or that the granting of such license is otherwise not in the public interest. For the purposes of this subsection, the term “substantial objection” includes 1 or more of the following:

a. Any objection, or group of objections, presented to the Commissioner either individually or as a group, by persons who reside within 5 miles of where the licensee is to operate, sufficient to give the Commissioner reason to believe that a majority of the residents in that 5 mile radius within which the licensee is to operate oppose the issuance of the license.

b. Any objection, or group of objections, presented to the Commissioner either individually or as a group, the content of which gives the Commissioner reason to believe the quality of life of the community within which the licensee is to operate will be adversely affected by the granting of the license.

(c) Except as set forth in subsection (b) of this section, a prior conviction, for possession of, possession for sale, sale, manufacture, transportation, or cultivation of a controlled substance may not be a ground for denial of a license.

(d) The Commissioner may refuse to grant a license to sell marijuana, marijuana products, or marijuana accessories to any new establishment to be located in the vicinity of a church, school, college or substance abuse treatment facility as defined under § 2203 of Title 16. The Commissioner may issue a license to any establishment located in the vicinity of a church, school, or college when such establishment has been located in a place prior to the time any church, school, or college may thereafter be located in the vicinity of such establishment.

(e) The Commissioner shall refuse to grant a license for the sale of marijuana, marijuana products, or marijuana accessories when there is an existing licensed establishment of the same type within 1200 feet by accessible public road or street in any incorporated city or town, or within 1 mile by accessible public road or street in any unincorporated or rural area. If there is an existing licensed establishment less than 1 mile but more than 9/10 of 1 mile by accessible public road or street in any unincorporated or rural area, the Commissioner may grant such license. This subsection does not apply to any of the following:

(1) Any existing license or to the sale, transfer of ownership, or renewal of an existing license.

(2) Any licensee who desires to move the location of the licensee’s license to a location within 500 feet thereof by accessible public road or street or any licensee located in a shopping center or shopping mall who desires to move the location of the licensee’s license any distance within the same shopping center or shopping mall, whether such center or mall consists of 1 or more than 1 separate buildings.

(f) Any holder of an existing license who desires to move the location of the existing license due to the destruction of the building, loss of lease, diversion of highway traffic pattern, or other reason beyond the control of the licensee, shall have preference in the issuance of a new license provided that the application satisfies this section and all other requirements under this chapter.

(g) The Commissioner may not grant a new license of any type and may not grant an extension of premises of an existing license of any type unless the application for said new license or for said extension is accompanied by a certificate of compliance from the appropriate political subdivision showing all of the following:

(1) That the premises where the license is to be used are properly zoned for the applicant’s intended use.

(2) That all necessary permits have been approved.

(3) That the applicant has complied with all other applicable licensing requirements of the appropriate political subdivision.

(h) Subsection (g) of this section does not apply to any application for a temporary extension of premises as authorized by Commissioner rule if such application has not been objected to by the appropriate political subdivision and the political subdivision was provided with notice of the application by the applicant within 7 days of the date the application is filed with the Commissioner.

84 Del. Laws, c. 24, § 4;