While Rhode Island leaders say they want to legalize recreational marijuana and reap the revenue-generating benefits – particularly with neighboring states already taking those steps – they are divided on how quickly it needs to get done.
After Gov. Daniel J. McKee’s plan to legalize and regulate cannabis was left out of the $13.1 billion state budget proposal that House leaders unveiled June 17, House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi suggested that lawmakers could return for a special session in the summer or fall to take up the matter.
“There is no consensus yet on the very different proposals … and many other advocates have also weighed in with their ideas,” Skeharchi said at a budget briefing earlier this month. “We will take our time and make sure all proposals are carefully vetted and are in the best interest of the state of Rhode Island.”
Senate President Dominick J. Ruggerio has made it clear that he believes the state should act quickly.
At Ruggerio’s behest, the Senate passed legislation introduced by Sen. Joshua Miller, D-Cranston, and Majority Leader Michael J. McCaffrey, D-Warwick, that would regulate and tax the sale of recreational marijuana.
“With cannabis legalized for recreational purposes in both Massachusetts and Connecticut, it is imperative that Rhode Island act expeditiously,” Ruggerio said. “Rhode Island must address all the societal costs, but we have no regulatory framework and no associated revenue stream. The longer we wait to open a cannabis marketplace, the further behind we fall from a competitive standpoint.”
For his part, McKee has taken no stance on what he would like to see as the timetable for marijuana legalization. A McKee spokeswoman said he is eager to continue talks with General Assembly leadership in the fall on the best way to legalize recreational marijuana.
There has been no shortage of proposals.
In addition to a plan included in McKee’s budget proposal earlier this year and the bill introduced by Miller and McCaffrey, state Rep. Scott Slater, D-Providence, has crafted his own legislation.
Each of the measures differs in how many retail sales licenses to be issued, how the industry would be taxed, how the tax revenue would be distributed and how the state would handle the expungement of marijuana-related convictions and social equity issues.
Business groups have been opposed to all legalization efforts because of workplace-safety concerns, but the Rhode Island Manufacturers Association has sent a list of concerns members hope are addressed if legislation is approved.
“Whether they pass it or don’t pass it, we’re concerned about the details, and we want to make sure our voice is heard,” said David M. Chenevert, association executive director.
Miller is concerned about losing a revenue stream to neighboring states. Retail sales of marijuana have been legal in Massachusetts for more than two years. Connecticut this month passed a law that will allow for retail sales starting in May 2022.
Slater agreed that Rhode Island shouldn’t wait. “Consumers will form their own habits,” he said. “If you allow people to get into the habit of crossing the border, you could lose that revenue to other states,” he said.
Slater said the trouble with the legislation being pushed in the General Assembly is that it does not have unified support, making its passage challenging.
Cassius Shuman is a PBN staff writer. Email him at Shuman@PBN.com.
