Rhode Island Lawmakers Approve Marijuana Legalization, Sending Bill To Gov. McKee, Here's What's In It

Rhode Island lawmakers gave the green light to a pair of identical companion bills to legalize adult recreational cannabis use on Tuesday.

Both the Rhode Island House of Representatives and Senate voted on the proposals on the heels of the Senate Judiciary and House Finance committees advancing the measure last week.

After Senate members approved the bill, sponsored by Sen. Joshua Miller (D), in a 32-6 vote, House members advanced a version from Rep. Scott Slater (D) in a vote of 55-16, reported Marijuana Moment.

The bill is now heading to the Gov. Dan McKee’s (D) deskto be signed, according to an official press release.

What’s In The Bill

The Rhode Island Cannabis Act would allow adults over 21 to purchase, possess and home-cultivate up to six plants and purchase limited amounts of cannabis.

In addition to facilitating the automatic review and expungement of past criminal records, the bill contains provisions for re-investing tax revenue from cannabis sales into the communities that were negatively affected by cannabis prohibition. It also intends to help equity applicants participate in the new market.

Slater said on Tuesday that the measure “represents a solid platform to launch the legalization and sale of cannabis for adult use in Rhode Island.”

However, he emphasised it is “not going to please everyone or meet everyone’s need.”

“Frankly, no bill could do that,” he said. “So in the many years it has taken to get this bill to this point, we have learned from other states that legalized cannabis, and we know that they too must address issues each year and modify the original statute to address new issues that occur. We will be no different.”

Photo: Courtesy of Tom Henell on Unsplash