Gov. Dan McKee held a signing ceremony earlier today to officially enact the Rhode Island Cannabis Act

Did you hear the news? 

Earlier today, Gov. Dan McKee signed into law a bill that immediately makes possession and cultivation of small amounts of cannabis legal in Rhode Island! 

Rhode Island has officially become the 19th state to legalize cannabis for adults!

The law establishes a timeline to establish a legal cannabis market overseen by a new regulatory commission. Members will be appointed by the governor with input from leaders of the General Assembly. Existing medical cannabis establishments will be permitted to obtain hybrid adult-use licenses later this year, and sales are slated to begin in December.

The amended legislation includes a policy to automatically clear criminal records for misdemeanor and felony possession convictions over the next two years. Recent changes to the proposal also eliminate fees for medical cannabis patients. A comprehensive summary of the legislation can be found here.

Passage of the legislation represents the culmination of organizing efforts led by MPP and many local advocates over the past several years. We are proud to have been a central part of this major achievement.

I’m grateful to the many volunteers, organizations, lawmakers, and supporters like you who helped make this a reality.
 

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Later this year, Rhode Island could become the 20th state in the nation to approve a law that legalizes cannabis for adults. Though the clock ran out in the regularly scheduled legislative session as lawmakers adjourned late last week, there’s still a good chance Rhode Island will end cannabis prohibition before the end of 2021. 

Earlier in June, for the first time ever, a bill to legalize cannabis for adults passed in a legislative chamber of the Rhode Island General Assembly, when a proposal sponsored by longtime reform champion Sen. Josh Miller passed the state Senate 29-9. 

Previously in the legislative session, Gov. Dan McKee and leaders in the House also introduced separate proposals to legalize cannabis, though those bills did not advance out of their respective committees. Each of the proposals differ in how they would regulate Rhode Island’s adult-use cannabis market, and lawmakers will need to reach a consensus in order to move forward. 

The good news is that Speaker of the House Joe Shekarchi has told The Providence Journal recently that cannabis legalization is one of his “summer projects,” and other top lawmakers have indicated that they think a unified plan can emerge in time to pass cannabis legalization in a special legislative session slated for this fall.

It’s an exciting time for our movement. Eight states have legalized cannabis for adults in the last eight months — and if I were betting, I’d say that Rhode Island is the odds on favorite to be next.

Thank you for supporting sensible cannabis policy reforms, and stay tuned for more updates later this summer.

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