Rhode Island becomes the 19th state to legalize cannabis

Of Maureen Meihan

With the stroke of a pen, Rhode Island has joined its two neighboring states and 16 others to legalize recreational cannabis, becoming the country’s 19th state to end marijuana prohibition.

After months of negotiations between lawmakers, attorneys, advocacy groups and the governor’s office, and less than 24 hours after lawmakers overwhelmingly passed the legalization bill, Gov. Dan McKee signed the measure, which promises to automatically erase previous marijuana possession convictions and a quarter of which withholds new retail licenses for minority communities disproportionately harmed by the war on drugs, the Providence Journal reported.

Today I signed the Rhod Island Cannabis Act, which legalizes and safely regulates cannabis in our state.

This bill successfully incorporates our priorities to ensure that legalization:

✅ fair
✅ controlled
✅ sure pic.twitter.com/6TMztPMV0B

— Governor Dan McKee (@GovDanMcKee) May 25, 2022

Speaking on the steps of the State House in Providence, McKee said the law was “equitable, controlled and safe” while creating a regulatory framework that emphasizes public health and safety. “The bottom line is a social and economic win for our country.”

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The law calls for retail sales to begin on December 1, but it will be a while before most stores are open.

This article originally appeared on Benzinga and has been republished with permission.