Rhode High-Land’s lucky number is 19

Over the Memorial Day weekend in the US, cannabis advocates celebrated a victory as Rhode Island became the 19th state in America to legalize recreational cannabis. Gov. Dan McKee just signed the Rhode Island cannabis law into law a few days ago, marking a major shift for the small northeastern state. Under the newly passed law, possession and home cultivation of cannabis is now legal for adults over the age of 21, and sales in stores can begin as early as December 1, 2022. “Sense” adult cannabis regulation with a strong focus on public health and public safety. The new law gives courts until July 1, 2024 to automatically overturn previous convictions, and those who want an earlier overturn can request it.

Governor McKee stated, “This bill successfully addresses our priorities of ensuring that legalization of cannabis is equitable, controlled and safe,” said Governor McKee. “Furthermore, it creates a process for automatically erasing previous cannabis convictions. My government’s original legalization plan also contained such a provision, and I am delighted that the Assembly has recognized the importance of this particular issue. The result is a social and economic win for our country.”

Further details of the new law are:

The legislation provides for a 20 percent tax rate, split into a 7 percent sales tax, a new 10 percent cannabis tax, and a 3 percent tax by the municipality in which the marijuana is sold. In addition, the legislation makes numerous investments in creating an equitable, accessible retail cannabis market by settling certain application fee revenues and reserving a portion of new licenses for social justice applicants and worker-owned cooperatives.

Happy Rhode Island and enjoy Memorial Day weekend!

CANNABIS IN RHODE ISLAND, READ MORE….

RHODE ISLAND VOTES FOR CANNABIS LEGALIZATION, READ THIS!