PROVIDENCE, R.I. –Governor Dan McKee has signed into law the Rhode Island Cannabis Act, which legalizes and regulates recreational adult-use cannabis in the state.
Rhode Island is now the 19th state to have legalized cannabis.
The Act includes automatic expungement of prior civil or criminal marijuana possession charges, a key provision in the Governor’s original cannabis proposal to the General Assembly.
Under the new law, possession and home-growing of cannabis is now legal for adults age 21 and older, and in-store sales may begin as soon as Dec. 1. The law also seeks to establish a framework for “common-sense” adult use cannabis regulation with a strong emphasis on public health and public safety.
“This bill successfully incorporates our priorities of making sure cannabis legalization is equitable, controlled, and safe,” said Gov. McKee. “In addition, it creates a process for the automatic expungement of past cannabis convictions. My Administration’s original legalization plan also included such a provision and I am thrilled that the Assembly recognized the importance of this particular issue. The end result is a win for our state both socially and economically.”
Taxes Levied
The legislation calls for a 20% tax rate, split up into the 7% sales tax, a new 10% cannabis tax, and a 3% tax by the municipality where the marijuana is sold. In addition, the legislation makes numerous investments in the creation of an equitable, accessible cannabis retail market through the set-aside of certain application fee revenues and the reservation of a portion of new licenses for social equity applicants and worker-owned cooperatives, according to the state.
The new law gives courts until July 1, 2024, to automatically expunge past convictions, and those who want their expungement sooner may request it.