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A House panel in Rhode Island considered an adult-use marijuana legalization proposal from Gov. Daniel McKee (D) on Thursday along with three separate bills that would make significant reforms to the state\u2019s current medical cannabis system.<\/p>\n
While lawmakers did not act on any of the proposals, they asked detailed questions of the governor\u2019s administration about how\u2014not whether\u2014to eventually legalize cannabis in the state.<\/p>\n
Legislative leaders have repeatedly said that ending marijuana prohibition is \u201cinevitable\u201d in Rhode Island, but they\u2019ve acknowledged that hammering out policies that can win broad backing might take some time. Reaching agreement on certain provisions, some lawmakers said this week<\/a>, could prevent the policy change from happening this year, although others remain optimistic.<\/p>\n The chair of the House Finance Committee, Rep. Marvin L. Abney (D), stressed at the hearing<\/a> that holding bills is routine and happens \u201cif there\u2019s work that needs to be done on the bill, which generally there is on almost all\u201d pieces of legislation. \u201cThat is why we hold a bill for further study. We don\u2019t hold it to kill it or anything like that,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n The governor\u2019s legalization plan, unveiled in March as part of his budget proposal<\/a>, is one of two competing measures already introduced that would allow commercial cannabis sales to adults 21 and older. Senate leaders introduced their own legalization bill days before the governor\u2019s announcement<\/a>, but that measure wasn\u2019t before the House panel this week.<\/p>\n On the Senate side, both measures were heard in a joint committee hearing in early April<\/a> but were not voted on, and they\u2019ve remained in a holding pattern since.<\/p>\n One of the most obvious differences between the two proposals, said Matt Santacroce, who heads the state Department of Business Regulation (DBR)\u2019s Office of Cannabis Regulation, is how the new industry would be overseen. While the Senate bill would create a separate commission to regulate cannabis, the governor\u2019s budget proposal would leave control to DBR, which currently runs the state\u2019s medical marijuana system.<\/p>\n Santacroce offered the contrast in response to a question from Rep. Alex Marslakowski (D), who asked representatives of McKee\u2019s administration who were present at the hearing \u201cwhy we should choose one proposal over the other.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSell me on it,\u201d Marslakwowski said. \u201cWhy do you think theirs is better, theirs is worse?\u201d<\/p>\n Santacroce told lawmakers that the department has had success working with medical marijuana licensees. The governor\u2019s marijuana plan, Article 11<\/a> in his proposed budget, \u201caims to leverage that existing governance infrastructure, which is, you know, not creating anything new,\u201d Santacroce said. Establishing an independent commission, as the Senate bill proposes, \u201ctakes both time and money.\u201d<\/p>\n Santacruce added that the Senate leadership \u201cclearly put a ton of work into this issue.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re very hopeful that we can get together and continue to have that conversation about where the shared areas agreement are and, to the extent there are differences, how to potentially reconcile those,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Beyond governance, the two proposals also differ on social equity and licensing provisions for people most impacted by the war on drugs, particularly communities of color, as well as taxes and other regulatory details. Some lawmakers said they were concerned the governor\u2019s plan, which would add a 3 percent tax to medical marijuana cultivators, would raise the effective price on medical marijuana for patients.<\/p>\n So far no standalone legalization legislation has been introduced in the House of Representatives, although Rep. Scott Slater (D), the panel\u2019s vice chair, has previously indicated he\u2019s might bring such a bill.<\/p>\n Slater, who is traveling this week, told Marijuana Moment on Thursday that he is \u201ctrying to work on a legalization proposal\u201d but that it \u201cjust gets so complicated because there are so many different interested parties.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI am hopeful that we can get a proposal in the budget,\u201d he said. \u201cI definitely see a path forward this year.\u201d<\/p>\n As for his own proposal, Slater said it\u2019s been difficult to craft specific policies that will win support among various stakeholders. \u201cThe real tough part is that there is already an existing medical community that wants to be included in a new market, and all the\u2026advocates want licenses just dedicated to communities that have been harmed, which I understand.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat advocates in the industry do not understand is there [are] still a lot of people that think recreational cannabis is a bad idea,\u201d he continued. \u201cSo I am trying my best but sometimes it feels like any legislation I put out will be ripped apart.\u201d<\/p>\n Though lawmakers at Thursday\u2019s hearing avoided outright debate about the governor\u2019s proposal, Rep. Camille Vella-Wilkinson (D) asked a number of detailed questions about its provisions, probing legal liability around a lottery-based business licensing program and wondering about the accuracy and precision of roadside impairment tests for drivers. She also suggested possible incubator programs for small businesses and training programs at the University of Rhode Island to prepare young people to work in the newly legal industry.<\/p>\n \u2014 Rep. Deborah Ruggiero (D), meanwhile, noted that many local officials have complained<\/a> about a provision in the measure that would require communities hold special elections in November if they want to opt out of allowing cannabis retailers. Local governments say those elections, especially on such short notice, would be burdensome. Communities that opt out would also receive a smaller cut of marijuana tax revenue.<\/p>\n During public testimony, the overwhelming majority of comments came in support of ending cannabis prohibition generally. But even some proponents of legalization urged lawmakers to reconsider certain provisions of the bill.<\/p>\n Social justice advocates, most notably, said the equity provisions in the governor\u2019s proposal fall short of what\u2019s needed to address the drug war\u2019s disproportionate impact on communities of color. Many noted that the proposal lacks automatic expungement provisions.<\/p>\n Others criticized the governor\u2019s proposed social equity licensing provisions, which specify that the first five cannabis business licenses of every type would go to qualifying minority-owned businesses, which includes women-owned businesses.<\/p>\n Yet other commenters urged lawmakers to adopt language allowing cooperative grow models among individuals rather than requiring consumers to buy products from for-profit businesses.<\/p>\n The House Finance Committee also took up three separate bills on Thursday that would make changes to the state\u2019s existing medical marijuana program, which critics have said is too restrictive, especially with residents able to bypass the system by simply driving to nearby states that have legalized cannabis for all adults.<\/p>\n One, HB 5452<\/a>, would require the state Department of Business Regulation to analyze the licensing system from a social equity and racial perspective and move to eliminate barriers to entry for people most impacted by prohibition to participate in the industry. Another, HB 5451<\/a>, would earmark marijuana tax revenue for a \u201cdistressed communities relief fund,\u201d as well as charitable organizations that legislative leaders would select each year.<\/p>\n Both measures were introduced by Rep. Anastasia Williams (D), who said the state\u2019s existing medical marijuana system has perpetuated the status quo of white business owners profiting while people of color are largely cut out of the industry. As \u201chas been a practice for eons,\u201d she said, the state is \u201coverlooking or dismissing the needs of the community of color, the urban core.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe truth hurts sometimes,\u201d she added, \u201cand people are so concerned about talking about reality.\u201d<\/p>\n One of the panel\u2019s Republican members, Rep. George A. Nardone, questioned HB 5451\u2019s provision that would allow legislative leaders to earmark a portion of leftover cannabis revenue to unspecified nonprofit organizations. \u201cIt\u2019s going to be giving unbridled power to both the speaker and the Senate president to spend it on the charity of their choice?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n Williams replied that it\u2019s \u201cnot necessarily a charity of\u00a0their<\/em> choice,\u201d but added that \u201cI always like to respect my leadership, and that percentage would definitely be with them.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTrust me, and believe me, they may be in there, but trust me that the recommendations and suggestions are going to come from the people,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n The third bill, HB 5453<\/a>, would eliminate a series of existing regulations for the state\u2019s medical cannabis program such as the plant-tagging system for patients and caregivers who want to cultivate marijuana. Annual dispensary license fees would be slashed from $500,000 to $5,000, and the cap on the number of shops that could operate would be removed and instead tied to the state\u2019s population.<\/p>\n Further, the definition of who could qualify as a medical marijuana patient would be significantly expanded to include \u201cany serious health condition a reasonable practitioner believes, based on their experience, knowledge, and reasonable judgment as a health care provider, could be alleviated or treated through the use of medical marijuana.\u201d Nurse practitioners, and not merely doctors, would be allowed to recommend cannabis.<\/p>\n The bill\u2019s sponsor, Slater, who is also considering introducing House legislation to legalize adult-use cannabis, has previously described the medical marijuana reform measure as establishing a \u201cde facto recreational program.\u201d<\/p>\n Both the governor and the Senate leaders\u2019 adult-use legalization plans are notably different than the proposal that former Gov. Gina Raimondo (D) had included in her budget last year. Prior to leaving office to join the Biden administration<\/a>\u00a0as commerce secretary, she\u00a0called for legalization through a state-run model<\/a>.<\/p>\n Gov. McKee said in January that \u201cit\u2019s time that [legalization] happens\u201d and signaled that he was \u201cmore\u00a0leaning towards an entrepreneurial strategy<\/a>\u00a0there to let that roll that way.\u201d<\/p>\n Late last year, the Senate Finance Committee\u00a0began preliminary consideration of legalization<\/a>\u00a0in preparation for the 2021 session. \u201cI certainly do think we\u2019ll act on the issue, whether it\u2019s more private or more state,\u201d Sen. Ryan Pearson (D), who now serves as the panel\u2019s chairman, said at the time.<\/p>\n The growing momentum in Rhode Island also comes as lawmakers in neighboring\u00a0Connecticut are also moving toward legalizing marijuana<\/a> this year. Gov. Ned Lamont (D) included a cannabis legalization plan in his budget request last month.<\/p>\n Lawmakers in New York passed legalization legislation in March<\/a> that was promptly signed into law by Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D). Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins (D) said the legislation \u201cis a momentous first step in addressing the racial disparities caused by the war on drugs that has plagued our state for too long.\u201d<\/p>\n Meanwhile, the Rhode Island Senate approved a bill last month that would allow safe consumption sites<\/a>\u00a0where people could use illicit drugs under medical supervision and receive resources to enter treatment. Harm reduction advocates say this would prevent overdose deaths and help de-stigmatize substance misuse.<\/p>\n The Senate Judiciary Committee also held a hearing last month on legislation that would end criminal penalties for possessing small amounts of drugs<\/a>\u00a0and replace them with a $100 fine.<\/p>\n Maine Proposal Would Legalize Psilocybin Mushroom Therapy For Adults, No Medical Diagnosis Needed<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n Photo courtesy of Philip Steffan<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n The post Rhode Island Lawmakers Debate How\u2014Not Whether\u2014To Legalize Marijuana At Hearing On Governor\u2019s Plan<\/a> appeared first on Marijuana Moment<\/a>.<\/p>\n
A House panel in Rhode Island considered an adult-use marijuana legalization proposal from Gov. Daniel McKee (D) on Thursday along with three separate bills that would make significant reforms to the state\u2019s current medical cannabis system. While lawmakers did not act on any of the proposals, they asked detailed questionsContinue Reading<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":47438,"comment_status":"false","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[18,81],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47437"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=47437"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47437\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":47439,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47437\/revisions\/47439"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/47438"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=47437"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=47437"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=47437"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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\nRead More: Rhode Island Lawmakers Debate How\u2014Not Whether\u2014To Legalize Marijuana At Hearing On Governor\u2019s Plan<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"