Rhode Island To Begin Adult-Use Cannabis Sales on Dec. 1

Adults in Rhode Island will be able to legally purchase marijuana starting next week.

situation announced On Tuesday, recreational cannabis sales will begin Dec. 1.

“This milestone is the result of a carefully executed process to ensure the state’s entry into this emerging market was conducted in a safe, controlled and equitable manner,” said Rhode Island Governor Dan. McKee said in a statement. “It’s also a win for our statewide economy and our strong, locally rooted cannabis supply chain, which consists of nearly 70 licensed growers, processors and manufacturers, in addition to licensed compassion centers. We thank the General Assembly for their leadership in passing this Pragmatic Implementation Framework in the Rhode Island Cannabis Act and look forward to continuing to work together on this issue.”

McKee, a Democrat, signed the Rhode Island Cannabis Act into law in May after members of the state legislature passed the bill.

The governor said at the time that the bill “successfully addresses our priorities of making sure cannabis legalization is fair, controlled and safe.”

“Furthermore, we will create a process to automatically expunge past cannabis convictions. The end result is a win for the state, both socially and economically,” Mackie said. Said statement at the time.

According to a release from McKee’s office in May, the bill would “call for a 20 percent tax rate, a 7 percent sales tax, a new 10 percent cannabis tax, and a 3 percent tax by local governments where marijuana is sold. It will also be divided into “a fair and accessible cannabis retail market through the securing of certain application fee income and the reservation of some of the new licenses for social equity applicants and worker-owned cooperatives.” We are investing heavily in the creation of

Democratic Rep. Scott A. Slater, the bill’s sponsor, said at the time that the bill’s “social equity” element was one of the most important considerations for legislators, adding: I represent the department,” he said. The damage caused by decades of prohibition leads to intergenerational poverty and mass incarceration. ”

“The starting line is not the same for people in poor, urban and minority communities. I thank my colleagues at the General Assembly for recognizing the importance of criminal record expungement and licensing fairness, as they are absolutely critical to a fair end to the ban,” Slater said.

In a press release on Tuesday, McKee’s office said five medical cannabis companies have received licenses to begin selling adult-use marijuana. Aura of Rhode Island (Central Falls). Thomas C. Slater Center (Providence); Mother Earth Wellness (Pawtucket); Greenleaf Compassionate Care Center (Portsmouth); and RISE Warwick.

“We are pleased with the quality and comprehensiveness of the applications we have received from the State Center for Compassion and are proud to be able to begin adult-use sales in Rhode Island just six months after the Cannabis Act was signed into law. “This marks the fastest implementation period in the Northeast,” said Matt Santa Claus, interim deputy director of the Rhode Island Department of Business Regulation. We look forward to continuing to work with the state’s cannabis business community to ensure that this important economic sector expands in compliance with the rules and regulations we advocate.”