Rhode Island General Assembly passes recreational marijuana bill
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WJAR) — Rhode Island lawmakers on Tuesday passed recreational marijuana legislation that sets up a system for its regulation, sale and taxation.
The Senate passed the bill 32-6, while the House approved it on a vote of 55-16.
Gov. Dan McKee's office said the governor will sign the bill into law Wednesday at a State House ceremony.
Recreational marijuana sales would begin Dec. 1.
Under the measure, people 21 and older will be able to possess up to 1 ounce of pot, keep no more than 10 ounces in their home, and grow a small amount.
The bill also automatically expunges any prior civil violations, misdemeanor, or felony convictions for possession of marijuana decriminalized by the legislation.
The legislation creates a three-member Cannabis Control Commission to be appointed by the governor with input from the House speaker and Senate approval. The commission will be assisted by a Cannabis Advisory Board and the Office of Cannabis Regulation in the Department of Business Regulation.
The legislation establishes a 10% state cannabis excise tax that will be imposed in addition to the 7% sales tax, plus a 3% local tax for the municipality where the sale takes place.
The law will allow 33 licensed marijuana retailers split into six zones across the states. The nine approved compassion centers could become hybrid shops for both medical and recreational sales.
"Currently, only the three original licensed compassion centers are up and running, but the sponsors believe it’s possible that at least some of the six more that were recently approved will be open by Dec. 1, and that it is realistic to expect the hybrid licenses that will allow them to sell to recreational users will be approved by then," a statement from the General Assembly said.
The measure also gives communities a way to opt out of allowing marijuana sales through referendum.
It will also eliminate fees for identification cards and plant tags for patients and caregivers already in the medical marijuana program.
The Rhode Island Police Chiefs Association was in attendance at the State House during Tuesday's debate, expressing concerns over the legislation. The group said there is no legal or commercially viable test for police to detect the presence of pot, making it difficult to keep potentially impaired drivers off the road.
When asked if police were prepared for marijuana to become legal, officials told NBC 10 that drivers operating vehicles while under the influence of marijuana is nothing new to them.
"It's definitely out there. Actually, two months ago we had just sent 20 more officers to become drug recognition experts at an expense of $100,000 from some grant money that we got from highway safety," explained Sid Wordell, the executive director of the RIPCA.
House Minority Leader Blake Filippi, voting in favor of the bill, said there is no perfect piece of legislation.
"Their concerns are totally legitimate and things we need to deal with, but those concerns are outweighed by the public benefit from legalization," said Filippi.