PROVIDENCE – Gov. Gina M. Raimondo’s plan to again propose legalizing adult recreational marijuana use will run into an early roadblock in the Senate next year, where chamber President Dominick J. Ruggerio on Tuesday said he doesn’t support it.
Ruggerio, D-Providence, says he has concerns about the state’s regulation of its medical-marijuana program, which makes him wary of supporting legalizing adult recreational use.
Raimondo in October filed a lawsuit in Superior Court arguing that a provision of the fiscal 2020 budget is a violation of the constitutional guarantee of separation of powers law, by having the General Assembly grant itself the power to veto executive regulations governing marijuana and hemp. In her announcement, Raimondo’s office said such a violation “opens the door for inside dealing.”
Ruggerio and House Speaker Nicholas Nicholas A. Mattiello, D-Cranston, issued a joint statement at the time that they had already indicated to Raimondo’s office that they would introduce legislation in January to remove the provision from the budget.
Last month, the R.I. Department of Business Regulation proposed regulations for Rhode Island’s medical-marijuana industry that would limit growth to six new dispensaries via lottery, in specific zones throughout the state. If the proposal is approved, it will increase the number of medical-marijuana dispensaries in the state to nine. Centers are located now in Providence, Warwick and Portsmouth.
Ruggerio told Providence Business News he doesn’t think the state has “a good handle on regulating medical marijuana at this point, and so I don’t think it would be wise to expand it until we have a better sense of factors, like how many plants are in the state for the medical program.
“Marijuana legalization would be detrimental to our efforts to improve education, police the black market and enforce traffic safety,” he continued. “I am concerned about insurance rates, because states that have legalized marijuana have seen auto insurance costs increase. Additionally, many employers have expressed concerns, which is particularly significant here in Rhode Island because of the large defense industry.”
Raimondo earlier this year proposed legalizing recreational marijuana use in her fiscal 2020 budget but did not get General Assembly support. She has said she plans to introduce the proposal again next year.
