Marijuana cultivation

Marijuana is cultivated indoors under warm, bright lights.

(The Center Square) – Rhode Island senators on Tuesday will take up a bill legalizing, regulating and taxing adult recreation cannabis in the state, following a favorable vote of the legislation in a recent panel meeting.

The Senate Committee on Judiciary on May 18 voted 9-1 with a favorable recommendation of Senate Bill 2430. State Sen. Leonidas Raptakis, D-Coventry, cast the dissenting vote.

Many of the core tenants of the original bill remain intact, including the establishment of a 10% state excise tax, a 7% state sales tax, and a 3% local sales tax for the municipality where the sale occurs.

The legislation permits the sale and possession of up to 1 ounce of cannabis for state residents age 21 and up. As proposed, no more than 10 ounces of recreational marijuana would be legally permissible in a person’s primary residence.

The bill also would allow for the creation of 33 total licensed cannabis retailers within the state.

The Senate committee’s vote pertained to Substitute A of the bill, which included several new provisions that were not included in the original legislation that was introduced last year.

One of the amendments, which committee members delved into at the recent meeting, incorporates a timetable for expungement of previous cannabis possession convictions. Substitute A of SB2430 sets the deadline for expungements to July 1, 2024.

During deliberations, state Sen. Ana Quezada, D-Providence, said she was pleased to see a clear pathway to expungements.

“So many people of color paid a very high price in the ’80s and the ’90s about selling marijuana and being jailed,” Quezada said. “Now, at least, they’re going to have an expungement of those records. There are so many people in my community who will benefit from this.”

Other changes incorporated into Substitute A include a new start date for legalized adult recreational sales – from Oct. 1 to Dec. 1 – and an elimination of the current fees that have been charged to patients and caregivers into the state’s medical marijuana program.

Additionally, the amendment sets the stage for a new three-member Cannabis Control Commission that will work in conjunction with the Cannabis Advisory Board and Office of Cannabis Regulation. The added levels of government, officials said, are designed to handle the legalization of recreational use cannabis and licensure matters.

State Sen. Joshua Miller, D-Cranston, is the primary sponsor of SB2430 and Substitute A. The introduction of the revision, Miller said, came after a robust review and input process from lawmakers and Rhode Island residents alike.

“We finally have the cooperation that is going to make this work,” Miller said.

While there was widespread support within the committee of advancing the amended version of SB2430, questions arose of how state law enforcement can address allegations of impaired driving from marijuana use.

From his vantage point, state Sen. Stephen Archambault, D-Johnston, said it would be handled in the same way of other impaired driving incidents, such as alcohol beverage consumption and intoxication.

“The key to thinking about this is: Are you impaired?” Archambault said. “It’s the same process of analysis, in terms of needing expert oversight with facts.”

The Rhode Island House of Representatives also is slated to take a vote on companion legislation of recreational cannabis legalization on Tuesday.