PROVIDENCE – With the stroke of Gov. Daniel J. McKee’s pen on Wednesday, Rhode Island became the 19th state to legalize and regulate recreational marijuana.
“This bill successfully incorporates our priorities of making sure cannabis legalization is equitable, controlled and safe,” said McKee. “In addition, it creates a process for the automatic expungement of past cannabis convictions. … The end result is a win for our state both socially and economically.”
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The law legalizes the sale and possession of up to 1 ounce of cannabis for adults, with no more than 10 ounces for personal use kept at a person’s home. It also allows residents to grow a small amount at home.
The legislation calls for a 20% tax rate, split up into: the 7% sales tax, a new 10% cannabis tax and a 3% tax by the municipality where the marijuana is sold.
“The reality is that prohibition does not stop cannabis use,” said bill sponsor Sen. Joshua Miller, D-Cranston. “Since Rhode Islanders can already access cannabis just across the state border or on the illicit market, we experience all the challenges without any of the safeguards or resources that our neighboring states have. With this bill, we are ending prohibition in a way that is safe, keeps revenue in Rhode Island and is as fair and equitable as we can possibly make it. This bill has been years in the making, and is a collaborative effort to address concerns about protecting medical use, ensuring fair governance and recognizing that we cannot make this transition without taking action to make whole the communities and individuals who have been punished for decades under prohibition.”
The start date for recreational sales was pushed from Oct. 1 to Dec. 1 during the legislative process. Recreational marijuana is already sold in Massachusetts. Connecticut has legalized it but recreational dispensaries are not yet open. Thirty-three cannabis retailers will be allowed in Rhode Island.
The Rhode Island Police Chiefs’ Association released a statement Tuesday before the legislation passed, saying it wanted to draw attention to “several public health and safety holes.”
The association said it’s concerned because of the potential for impaired motorists and more roadway fatalities since there’s no test to check for driving under the influence of marijuana. The association also said the bill does not adequately restrict marijuana use in public, which creates a public nuisance.
The legislation also provides for the automatic expungement of any prior conviction for possession of cannabis that will be decriminalized. The expungements will occur by July 1, 2024, with an expedited process offered for anyone who wants to have their record expunged sooner.
Current fees charged to patients and caregivers for registration in the state’s medical marijuana program will be eliminated. A three-member Cannabis Control Commission that will oversee the industry will be appointed by the governor with input from the House speaker and approval from the Senate.
(UPDATES throughout with detail, comment from bill signing. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
