Rhode Island legislators pass bill legalizing recreational marijuana

[orthene]

https://mjbizdaily.com/rhode-island-legislators-pass-legislation-legalizing-recreational-marijuana/

Rhode Island is poised to become the 19th state in the U.S. to legalize recreational marijuana, after House and Senate legislators on Tuesday overwhelmingly passed limited-license, social equity-focused legislation.

Democratic Gov. Dan McKee is expected to sign the bill, the Rhode Island Cannabis Act.

Adult-use sales would begin Dec. 1.

The Rhode Island House of Representatives passed an amended H 7593 by a vote of 55-16 while the state Senate approved an identical bill, S 2430, by 32-6.

Opponents raised objections tied to potential safety and public health risks, especially to youth.

Tuesday’s passage means that New Hampshire is the only remaining state in New England that hasn’t legalized adult-use marijuana.

Jared Moffat, state campaigns manager for the Marijuana Policy Project, commended Rhode Island lawmakers for crafting a thoughtful and comprehensive legalization measure.

“Rhode Islanders should be proud of their lawmakers for passing a legalization bill that features strong provisions to promote equity and social justice,” Moffat said in a statement.

Beginning Dec. 1, existing medical cannabis dispensaries, called compassion centers in Rhode Island, will be able to obtain a hybrid license to begin adult-use sales by paying a $125,000 fee into a social equity fund, according to a bill summary from the Marijuana Policy Project.

Last October, the state issued five additional medical marijuana dispensary licenses as part of a long-awaited expansion plan to increase the number of retail outlets to nine across the state.

In addition, 24 new retail recreational marijuana licenses will be issued across six geographic regions, with at least one social equity permit and one worker-owned cooperative license issued in each geographic region.

In other words, 25% of the new retail licenses will be set aside for social equity applicants, including individuals disproportionately impacted by the war on drugs.

[BurnMan]

 

Awesome.


meanwhile The governor of Delaware decided he knows what's better for his state then the voters do and vetoed the bill there that would have made it legal this year.

The good news is if they fight it, they have enough votes to overrule the ass wipe.