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West Allis creates temporary licensing path and fees for CBD, THC beverages
Summary
The West Allis Common Council approved an ordinance and matching fee schedule to create a CBD/THC beverage retailer license, with a yearlong warning period for current sellers while the city and businesses adjust.
The West Allis Common Council on July 15 adopted an ordinance and a companion resolution to establish a licensing process and fees for retailers that sell CBD- and THC-infused beverages.
The move creates a new retail license category and a fee schedule, and includes a transitional warning period during which regulators will issue notices rather than immediate citations. Alderman Halverson, who sponsored the proposal, said the approach strives to give businesses time to comply while the municipality fills a regulatory gap left by the state.
Council members voted in favor of taking items 3 and 4 together; the public safety committee and the full council approved the measures in unanimous votes. The ordinance and resolution were identified in committee as items referenced by internal file numbers (recorded in the meeting as 020250044 and r 20252003). Committee members discussed implementation details in advance of broader outreach to businesses.
Alderman Halverson described the change as a municipal response to state-level ambiguity. "We as a municipality shouldn't have been put into this position to make a municipal rule like this," he said, arguing the state has not provided comprehensive direction. He said the ordinance includes a robust warning window so retailers can adapt.
Key implementation points discussed in committee include: a 14-day warning period for retailers to obtain the new license after notice; warnings issued to managers will be treated as warnings for the employee staff; and an extended transition period tied to the municipal licensing year. Halverson said the licensing year starts July 1 and the warning provision will remain in effect through July 1, 2026, to give businesses time to become compliant.
City staff and the city attorney advised that the city should communicate the new requirements broadly rather than trying to identify only those businesses that already sell alcoholic beverages. Several aldermen recommended a blanket notice to all businesses that might serve CBD/THC beverages so the new license requirement is clear.
The council's action creates the new licensing category and authorizes a fee schedule amendment; the item passed in committee and was adopted by the council. The measures do not specify additional enforcement details beyond the warning period and fee schedule; staff indicated further implementation steps and outreach would follow.
