It is likely most Rhode Island cities and towns will vote yes on Nov. 8 to allow the sale or cultivation of recreational marijuana in their communities.
The local ballot questions are a right afforded under the new law making Rhode Island the 19th state to legalize recreational marijuana.
Communities that opt out won’t share in the financial benefits, which include a 3% local tax, but will get the spillover effects from neighboring communities that opt in. It’s a powerful argument that also was effectively used on the state level by proponents once Massachusetts and Connecticut moved to legalize recreational sales.
But while 31 communities put the question on the ballot, elected officials in five others decided not to let voters have their say. Local boards in Cranston, Pawtucket, Central Falls, Exeter and Foster all chose not to put the question on the ballot. That means retail sales and cultivation will automatically be allowed, as will be the case where medical marijuana treatment centers are already allowed in Providence, Warwick and Portsmouth.
Cranston City Council Christopher G. Paplauskas told PBN that if his community opted out, it would still have recreational marijuana without sharing in the revenue. Maybe most voters there would agree, but we’ll never know.
It’s the same in Foster. Town Council President Denise DiFranco said the community is eager to expand its tax base. But if voters agree this is a way to do it, why not let them decide?
Not trusting voters is a slippery slope for elected officials, no matter how well-meaning the reason.