Senate committee advances plan to legalize pot in RI msn.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from msn.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
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A few weeks ago, we wrote that “political support for legalizing recreational cannabis in Rhode Island may finally be reaching a critical mass.” It seems our prediction was premature and it is becoming more likely that the General Assembly may not pass a bill before the close of its legislative session around the end of June.
What changed? Several things seem to be holding up approval. First, there are competing bills in the Rhode Island Senate from Governor McKee and Senate leadership, and the parties have yet to reconcile the bills and work out a satisfactory compromise. In addition, House Speaker Joseph Shekarchi recently stated legalization is “inevitable” but that he is “unsure” that legalization would happen this year. At the same time, the business community is concerned that the bills proposed so far do not adequately protect employers and the workplace.
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It appears that political support for legalizing recreational cannabis in Rhode Island may finally be reaching a critical mass. The details of
how Rhode Island might go about legalizing recreational cannabis and not
whether to do it are now the subject of legislative hearings and maneuvering at the Rhode Island State House.
There are two bills under discussion. Both would legalize the possession of certain amounts of marijuana for adults 21 years and older, and both would organize a system of private retail locations to be licensed to sell recreational cannabis as soon as Spring 2022.
Marijuana cultivators and dispensary representatives have been busy this month hosting fundraisers for the governor and other lawmakers supporting proposals to legalize marijuana for recreational use.
On April 6, about 30 cultivators held a fundraiser for Gov. Dan McKee at Spain Restaurant, in Cranston.
And this past Wednesday, Joseph Walsh, the former mayor of Warwick and lobbyist for the Summit dispensary in Warwick, hosted a virtual fundraiser for McKee on Zoom. About 20 business representatives appeared via computer, including those from the state s existing three dispensaries.
Mike Trainor, spokesman for McKee’s election campaign, said the governor sees the cultivation and dispensing of marijuana as emerging small businesses and he “is interested in learning from participants in both sectors.”