Rhode Island just voted to legalize marijuana. Here’s what happens next

Rhode Island lawmakers passed the Rhode Island Cannabis Act on Tuesday, May 24th. The law would legalize the possession and sale of licensed cannabis for all adults — but it’s not official yet.

Here’s what happens next.

The bill is now on the desk of Gov. Dan McKee, who is expected to enact it within days. Then the gears start turning.

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Is It Legal to Possess Marijuana in Rhode Island Today?

no But it will be very soon.

The law delays the licensed sale of cannabis until December 1, 2022, but it “goes into effect upon passage.” This means personal possession of cannabis will be legal once Governor McKee signs the law into law.

How much can I own?

The legal limit is one ounce of flower per person – or the equivalent in concentrates and other products. It’s unclear how “the equivalent” actually comes out, so be careful out there.

The law also allows personal possession of up to 10 ounces of cannabis per person per residence, as long as the cannabis is secured in that residence.

In other words, it’s legal to walk around with up to an ounce. It is legal to store up to 10 ounces at home. It’s not legal to walk around with 10 ounces.

When is the purchase legal?

December 1, 2022 at 12:01 am Mark your calendars. It’s a Thursday.

When do cannabis shops open?

The law allows the first adult retail stores to start selling on December 1, 2022.

Where will the shops be located?

There will initially be three stores licensed to sell to all adults if the stores so choose. The law allows the three existing medical marijuana dispensaries (known in Rhode Island as compassion centers) to obtain licenses for adult use for a fee of $125,000.

The existing compassion centers are:

Thomas C. Slater Compassion Center

1 Corliss Street, Providence

Compassionate care from Greenleaf

1637 West Main Street, Portsmouth

Summit Medical Compassion Center

380 Jefferson Boulevard, Warwick

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Will there be more deals?

Ultimately yes. The law allows for a total of up to 33 cannabis retailers in the state, spread across 6 zones across the state.

Will previous cannabis convictions be overturned?

Yes. The law’s automatic cancellation clause requires cancellation of tens of thousands of cannabis-related convictions, according to The Providence Journal.

With automatic deletion, anyone previously convicted of a civil cannabis-related felony, misdemeanor, or conviction can expect to be acquitted of all charges without petition, fee, or hearing.

The law gives state courts two years to catch up on the new policy and make deletions, and includes the ability for those affected to request an expedited hearing.

Some major offenses, including intent to supply marijuana, would not qualify for deletion.

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Deletion: what does it mean and how do I get one?

How is cannabis taxed?

With this new law, cannabis will now be taxed as a cash crop to generate additional revenue for Rhode Island. Consumers face a 10% state cannabis use tax, in addition to a 7% sales tax and a 3% local tax. This results in a total tax burden of 20%.

Who will regulate cannabis?

To oversee the sale, cultivation and manufacture of medicinal and recreational cannabis, the law provides for an independent three-person Cannabis Control Commission, as well as a Cannabis Advisory Board and an Administrative Cannabis Bureau.

Although oversight is provided by these bodies, participating municipalities are responsible for issuing cannabis-related licenses to businesses wishing to operate in their area.

How are medical patients protected?

In response to a flood of testimony from patients and providers of medicinal cannabis, the final version of the law seeks to protect the state’s existing medicinal cannabis program and to make the transition to adult-use status as easy as possible.

First, it allows existing compassionate medical centers to become hybrid medical/recreational retailers on December 1st and empowers the Office of Cannabis Regulation to handle the licensing of hybrids.

Also on December 1, the law eliminates a variety of medical patient and caregiver fees, including fees for cannabis identification cards and plant labels. There is also an opportunity for recently relocated state residents with out-of-state cannabis medical cards to obtain a Rhode Island medical card through March 1, 2023.

What social justice measures does the law contain?

Overall, the Rhode Island Cannabis Act is similar to the adult-use legalization laws of other recent states, particularly in terms of legalization, cannabis tax rates, and the regulatory agencies it established to oversee the adult-use cannabis market.

Where Rhode Island’s bill extends beyond that of other states for adult use, the emphasis is on erasure, social justice licensing, and community reinvestment. These three areas are key to bringing tangible justice to people of color disproportionately affected by cannabis criminalization.

The Rhode Island Cannabis Act touches on all three by providing for automatic deletion, reserving 25% of retail licenses for social justice candidates, and creating a social justice fund for communities impacted by previous state cannabis policies.

Alex Peters

Alexa Peters is a freelance writer specializing in music, writing, travel, feminism and self-help. Her work has appeared in The Washington Post, Paste, The Seattle Times, Seattle Magazine and Amy Poehler’s Smart Girls.

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