CBD OIL

If there are no nominees for either position soon, lawmakers could wait to see what happens or pass a bill that would take Cuomo out of the process; however, Krueger said that is unlikely as it would further complicate the process.

Krueger told Politico that there is a reasonable chance that the state will have a different governor within months. “In which case, I don’t wish to delay moving forward [with] cannabis, but it may be a short delay,” she said. 

She added that while creating and establishing the state’s adult-use cannabis market would be difficult without Cuomo’s involvement, there is no reason why the state can’t move forward in implementing some of the MRTA’s provisions, especially those related to cannabis research.

And Savino told Politico that most of the changes could happen without OMC board members or new regulations being established first.

“It could happen right now, but [the Department of Health] is hiding behind [the idea] that, ‘We need to wait for the Office of Cannabis Management and the Cannabis Board to be convened and new regulations to be promulgated.’ That’s just not true,” Savino told Politico. “The statute does not require that for the changes that could go into effect, [like] adding in all health care providers who are allowed to prescribe medication currently, to add in all conditions, to allow the sale of flower product.”

But administration spokesperson Colin Brennan directed Politico to a June 4 statement where he said that once the Cannabis Control board is in place, MRTA provisions can start to be implemented. 

Lawmakers are worried that the delays could extend the state’s timeline for recreational cannabis sales even past 18 months, which was the original timeline for adult-use sales to begin.

And although adult-use cannabis sales have yet to begin in New York, adults can still legally possess cannabis. Savino told Politico if the state doesn’t make a move to establish a marketplace soon, “the illegal market is going to run the table in a state where we just recently hailed the passage of legalizing marijuana. That makes no sense.”

2021 has been very fruitful for cannabis legalization in the northeastern United States. First New Jersey legalized adult use cannabis, then came New York, then Connecticut, and now it is looking like Rhode Island should be able to get it done this year. Although technically not in the Northeast, Virginia also legalized adult use cannabis this year.

Those states are following in the footsteps of Maine, Massachusetts and Vermont who have all legalized cannabis previously. In addition, legislators in Pennsylvania and Delaware are both trying to advance bills to legalize adult use cannabis. While New Hampshire has a lot of support for legalization, progress in the legislature has stalled for now. And that just about covers the entire Northeast.

In a very interesting chain of events, the Northeast is legalizing adult use cannabis at a rapid pace in 2021. The incremental progress is similar to the history of legalization in the western United States and the events leading up to 2016.

In Rhode Island, senators approved Senate Bill 568 and now heads to the House where a legislative session ends in less than a week. While it is doubtful that representatives will be able to get it done before the end of the month, it is entirely possible that they could pass the bill and legalize cannabis before the end of this year.

Following Connecticut and hopefully Rhode Island, Pennsylvania lawmakers are building bipartisan support for legalization and are expected to introduce a bill soon.

Rhode Island Capitol TV | ritv.devosvideo.com

More than a decade ago, Rhode Island state Sen. Joshua Miller chaired a commission that examined cannabis prohibition and the effects of what he called a failed policy.

That was in 2010. When Miller finally had the opportunity to introduce an adult-use cannabis bill Tuesday evening on the Senate floor, the upper chamber spent all of 15 minutes discussing the legislation before approving it in a 29-9 vote.

Sponsored by Miller and nine of his Democratic colleagues, Senate Bill 568 would allow adults 21 years and older to possess up to 1 ounce of cannabis or 5 grams of concentrate and grow up to six plants for personal use. The measure would also expedite the expungement process for those with misdemeanor cannabis records.

“It is a historic day, as it is the first time a bill to legalize and regulate cannabis has reached the floor of either legislative chamber in Rhode Island,” Miller said. “We have arrived at this point about 10 years later than I would have liked, and it is important that we act expeditiously to enact a regulatory framework.”

Miller pointed out that neighboring Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont signed adult-use cannabis legislation earlier that day. And neighboring Massachusetts opened up shop for adult-use retail in 2018.

And with Vermont and New York’s legislatures legalizing cannabis in 2018 and 2021, respectively, Rhode Island and New Hampshire are the only two states remaining in New England where prohibition remains intact.

“The longer we wait, the more we put Rhode Island’s eventual cannabis retailers at a disadvantage,” Miller said. “The longer we wait, the more Rhode Island customers are getting into the habit of traveling to a nearby shop over the border, and the more they are building relationships with those companies. And with cannabis so readily available, whether on the black market or readily in neighboring states, Rhode Island must address all of the societal ills, but we will lack the regulatory framework and revenue stream. This legislation is therefore urgently needed.”

Under S.B. 568, cannabis use would be prohibited in public places and unsealed containers would be prohibited from the passenger areas of a motor vehicle.

The legislation aims to create a five-member Cannabis Control Commission to oversee a competitive and accessible licensing structure that Miller said would prevent monopolization of the new market by limiting business entities to one license. The licensing structure would generate tax revenue through a 7% sales tax, a 10% cannabis excise tax and a 3% local sales tax, which would return to municipalities where the point of sale occurred.

In addition, every community would be eligible for at least three retail licenses, but any municipality can opt out if it chooses. Communities can also pass local ordinances to regulate the time, place and manner of cannabis operators, however they cannot impose any additional fees or contingencies.

And on the social equity front, the legislation would create a fund to provide technical and grant assistance to qualified individuals who have been directly and indirectly impacted by prohibition. One-third of the licenses would be reserved for individuals from impacted communities.

“In the development of this bill, we wanted to ensure as many Rhode Islanders as possible have an opportunity to participate in this new economy,” Miller said. “That is why we set low barriers to entry with accessible tiered licensing fees.”

Licensing fees from the 11-tier system range from as low as $100 for up to 1,000 square feet of outdoor grows, to $5,000 for manufacturing and testing entities, and up to $20,000 for the largest cultivators and retailers.

While the bill passed by a 76% majority in the Senate, it competes with two other legalization measures: Gov. Dan McKee introduced a proposal in March that includes a three-year initiative to roll out retail licenses; and House Bill 6370 was introduced by Democratic Rep. Scott Slater on May 28.

Rhode Island Capitol TV | ritv.devosvideo.com

With the Senate-approved bill getting introduced in March, the upper chamber had the opportunity to make some really important improvements to it, Democratic Sen. Samuel Bell said Tuesday on the floor.

“That being said, I do think there are a couple things that the House bill does right that we might be able to modify,” he said. “I think we should make expungement automatic, and I think the tiering structure here is set up in such a way that it allows certain larger cultivators to potentially dominate the market. It’s something that I hope we can tweak. With that being said, I think it’s a really excellent piece of legislation.”

Republican state Sen. Gordon Rogers, who voted against the bill, said the legislation has two shortfalls. First, Rogers said the 3% local sales tax that will be returned to municipalities only takes dispensaries into account and not cultivators. In turn, cultivation-dominant communities absent of retail will be left out, he said.

Rhode Island Capitol TV | ritv.devosvideo.com

Second, Rogers said he’s in favor of a central distribution facility that would act as a middleman between cultivators and dispensaries.

“Let’s say something happens with a fungus or something; it’s growing, it’s a public health issue, you have a central place to find out where it’s coming,” he said. “If it’s coming from growers shooting off the dispensaries, it’s kind of erratic. But if you have a central distribution hub where this can be followed, [there is] control and testing.”

Miller said authors of the bill considered such a distribution center but decided not to go with that concept because of what they observed at operations of retailers in Massachusetts.

“Some of them actually only use maybe one or two cultivators,” Miller said. “And so, the central distribution would just be another security component that would be a burden both to the cultivator and the security, and the tagging and the tracking that you want to go through with the marijuana.”

S.B. 568 will now go to the House for consideration, although only a week remains before the Legislature adjourns June 30. Earlier this month, House Speaker Joe Shekarchi told WPRI-TV that the lower chamber would focus on passing a budget first and possibly push back adult-use cannabis legislation to a special session later this year.

But the Senate’s approval of S.B. 568 on Tuesday is just another example of the momentum behind the nationwide movement to end prohibition, National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) Executive Director Erik Altieri said in a statement.

“The American people are sick and tired of our failed prohibitionist policies and finally their elected officials are enacting the will of their constituents,” he said. “We call upon the Rhode Island General Assembly to follow the Senate’s lead and quickly approve this bill.”

Rhode Island Capitol TV | ritv.devosvideo.com

More than a decade ago, Rhode Island state Sen. Joshua Miller chaired a commission that examined cannabis prohibition and the effects of what he called a failed policy.

That was in 2010. When Miller finally had the opportunity to introduce an adult-use cannabis bill Tuesday evening on the Senate floor, the upper chamber spent all of 15 minutes discussing the legislation before approving it in a 29-9 vote.

Sponsored by Miller and nine of his Democratic colleagues, Senate Bill 568 would allow adults 21 years and older to possess up to 1 ounce of cannabis or 5 grams of concentrate and grow up to six plants for personal use. The measure would also expedite the expungement process for those with misdemeanor cannabis records.

“It is a historic day, as it is the first time a bill to legalize and regulate cannabis has reached the floor of either legislative chamber in Rhode Island,” Miller said. “We have arrived at this point about 10 years later than I would have liked, and it is important that we act expeditiously to enact a regulatory framework.”

Miller pointed out that neighboring Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont signed adult-use cannabis legislation earlier that day. And neighboring Massachusetts opened up shop for adult-use retail in 2018.

And with Vermont and New York’s legislatures legalizing cannabis in 2018 and 2021, respectively, Rhode Island and New Hampshire are the only two states remaining in New England where prohibition remains intact.

“The longer we wait, the more we put Rhode Island’s eventual cannabis retailers at a disadvantage,” Miller said. “The longer we wait, the more Rhode Island customers are getting into the habit of traveling to a nearby shop over the border, and the more they are building relationships with those companies. And with cannabis so readily available, whether on the black market or readily in neighboring states, Rhode Island must address all of the societal ills, but we will lack the regulatory framework and revenue stream. This legislation is therefore urgently needed.”

Under S.B. 568, cannabis use would be prohibited in public places and unsealed containers would be prohibited from the passenger areas of a motor vehicle.

The legislation aims to create a five-member Cannabis Control Commission to oversee a competitive and accessible licensing structure that Miller said would prevent monopolization of the new market by limiting business entities to one license. The licensing structure would generate tax revenue through a 7% sales tax, a 10% cannabis excise tax and a 3% local sales tax, which would return to municipalities where the point of sale occurred.

In addition, every community would be eligible for at least three retail licenses, but any municipality can opt out if it chooses. Communities can also pass local ordinances to regulate the time, place and manner of cannabis operators, however they cannot impose any additional fees or contingencies.

And on the social equity front, the legislation would create a fund to provide technical and grant assistance to qualified individuals who have been directly and indirectly impacted by prohibition. One-third of the licenses would be reserved for individuals from impacted communities.

“In the development of this bill, we wanted to ensure as many Rhode Islanders as possible have an opportunity to participate in this new economy,” Miller said. “That is why we set low barriers to entry with accessible tiered licensing fees.”

Licensing fees from the 11-tier system range from as low as $100 for up to 1,000 square feet of outdoor grows, to $5,000 for manufacturing and testing entities, and up to $20,000 for the largest cultivators and retailers.

While the bill passed by a 76% majority in the Senate, it competes with two other legalization measures: Gov. Dan McKee introduced a proposal in March that includes a three-year initiative to roll out retail licenses; and House Bill 6370 was introduced by Democratic Rep. Scott Slater on May 28.

Rhode Island Capitol TV | ritv.devosvideo.com

With the Senate-approved bill getting introduced in March, the upper chamber had the opportunity to make some really important improvements to it, Democratic Sen. Samuel Bell said Tuesday on the floor.

“That being said, I do think there are a couple things that the House bill does right that we might be able to modify,” he said. “I think we should make expungement automatic, and I think the tiering structure here is set up in such a way that it allows certain larger cultivators to potentially dominate the market. It’s something that I hope we can tweak. With that being said, I think it’s a really excellent piece of legislation.”

Republican state Sen. Gordon Rogers, who voted against the bill, said the legislation has two shortfalls. First, Rogers said the 3% local sales tax that will be returned to municipalities only takes dispensaries into account and not cultivators. In turn, cultivation-dominant communities absent of retail will be left out, he said.

Rhode Island Capitol TV | ritv.devosvideo.com

Second, Rogers said he’s in favor of a central distribution facility that would act as a middleman between cultivators and dispensaries.

“Let’s say something happens with a fungus or something; it’s growing, it’s a public health issue, you have a central place to find out where it’s coming,” he said. “If it’s coming from growers shooting off the dispensaries, it’s kind of erratic. But if you have a central distribution hub where this can be followed, [there is] control and testing.”

Miller said authors of the bill considered such a distribution center but decided not to go with that concept because of what they observed at operations of retailers in Massachusetts.

“Some of them actually only use maybe one or two cultivators,” Miller said. “And so, the central distribution would just be another security component that would be a burden both to the cultivator and the security, and the tagging and the tracking that you want to go through with the marijuana.”

S.B. 568 will now go to the House for consideration, although only a week remains before the Legislature adjourns June 30. Earlier this month, House Speaker Joe Shekarchi told WPRI-TV that the lower chamber would focus on passing a budget first and possibly push back adult-use cannabis legislation to a special session later this year.

But the Senate’s approval of S.B. 568 on Tuesday is just another example of the momentum behind the nationwide movement to end prohibition, National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) Executive Director Erik Altieri said in a statement.

“The American people are sick and tired of our failed prohibitionist policies and finally their elected officials are enacting the will of their constituents,” he said. “We call upon the Rhode Island General Assembly to follow the Senate’s lead and quickly approve this bill.”

It’s been a busy year for federal cannabis legislation. Will all the activity lead to legalization – or even incremental progress on changing federal law? 

Federal cannabis reform hasn’t passed into law, but it’s not for lack of trying. In 2021 alone, several high-profile cannabis bills have been proposed in both chambers of Congress, while others have been promised later this year.

Moving into the second half of 2021, let’s examine the most prominent federal cannabis bills, assess their current status, and with the help of industry experts, make some predictions about the future.

The Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act

Introduced in the House by Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY) & other Democratic representatives

May 2021

The current flagship legislation for comprehensive cannabis legalization, the MORE Act was first introduced in the summer of 2019. It passed a full floor vote in December 2020, making history as the first bill to explicitly legalize cannabis to pass in Congress.

Since the bill’s inception, however, momentum has been slowed by a lack of bipartisan support – particularly related to the bill’s strong social equity provisions, which would devote federal grants to help communities hurt most by the War on Drugs. 

“In order to pass the Senate, you’re going to need to get 10 Republicans on board with a descheduling bill without alienating Democrats, and I think that can be pretty tricky,” said Morgan Fox, Director of Media Relations for the National Cannabis Industry Association in a phone interview. “Particularly since in the GOP, the main sticking point tends to be social equity.”

Last month, Rep. Nadler reintroduced the MORE Act, highlighting advancements in state-level cannabis reform in an accompanying statement: “Since I introduced the MORE Act last Congress, numerous states across the nation, including my home state of New York, have moved to legalize marijuana. Our federal laws must keep up with this pace,” said Nadler, who chairs the House Judiciary Committee.

The Common Sense Cannabis Reform for Veterans, Small Businesses, and Medical Professionals Act

Introduced in the House by Reps. David Joyce (R-OH) and Don Young (R-AK)

May 2021

Perhaps recognizing the desire among their Republican party for simple legalization without any social justice provisions, two GOP representatives introduced a bill that would remove cannabis from the DEA’s Controlled Substances schedule, provide protection for cannabis-related financial services companies, and offer blanket protection for veterans to use medical cannabis in accordance with state laws. 

Reps. Joyce and Young, who are members of the bipartisan Congressional Cannabis Caucus, may have introduced the bill as an opening for House Republicans to support plain legalization without attaching their vote to the kind of progressive reform measures included in other legislation.

“One of the reasons the Joyce bill was introduced in the House was to see which Republicans are completely against legalization and which ones are okay with a simple, straightforward bill that only deschedules and doesn’t include any social justice or restorative issues,” said Fox.

Untitled Comprehensive Cannabis Reform

Upcoming in Senate by Senators Cory Booker (D-NY), Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Chuck Schumer (D-NY)

(Announced) February 2021

This piece of federal cannabis legislation is distinct from others in one important way: No one has seen it. From what the Senators have been saying about it for several months, the legislative package will focus on legalizing cannabis reform, while also striving to “right the wrongs of this failed war [on drugs] and end decades of harm inflicted on communities of color,” and “enact measures that will lift up people who were unfairly targeted in the War on Drugs.” Its promised social justice and equity measures have made it highly anticipated by the industry, but details are scant.

“Nobody to my knowledge outside of their offices has gotten a look at the actual language yet,” said Fox. “So far we’ve been hearing it’s going to be pretty heavy on restorative justice and social equity provisions…but again, we don’t know exactly what that looks like. So I think it’s going to be pretty important, once we see the details, to do a line-by-line with the MORE Act and see how they compare and contrast.”

Dasheeda Dawson, Cannabis Program Manager for the City of Portland and Chair of Cannabis Regulators of Color Coalition (CRCC), said it’s fair to expect the Senate legalization package to go even further than the MORE Act when it comes to restorative justice, given the history of the Senators involved.

“We expect MORE will be the baseline for the Schumer, Booker & Wyden efforts in the Senate,” said Dawson in an email to Cannabis Business Times and Cannabis Dispensary. “Much of the foundation of the MORE Act was built on Booker’s Marijuana Justice Act of 2017. If anything, because of the additional time and New York’s landmark legalization bill, I believe the Senate bill will be a slight step above the MORE Act as it pertains to restorative justice and equity.”  

The Secure and Fair Enforcement in (SAFE) Banking Act

Introduced in the House by Rep. Ed Perlmutter (D-CO)

March 2021 – passed April 2021 

The SAFE Banking Act is a more incremental reform step that would allow cannabis businesses access to the same kind of banking products available for other businesses, including credit and insurance. It also provides legal protection for ancillary businesses that provide service to the cannabis industry, such as contractors and packaging companies.

The bill has now passed a full floor vote in the House twice: once in September 2019, and once this past April, after its most recent introduction by Rep. Perlmutter. Now that even more Americans support full cannabis legalization, some in the industry hope the time is finally right to at least allow cannabis companies access to relatively basic business tools.

“SAFE Banking enjoys the support of the banking industry and many Republicans, so it could be seen as a fallback option should comprehensive legalization ultimately fail,” said Kris Krane, Founder of 4Front Ventures and President of Mission Dispensaries. 

But others believe that incremental progress could actually represent a step backwards for cannabis equity.

“On surface the SAFE Banking Act is a helpful band-aid for those already privileged to be participants in this developing industry,” said Dawson. “Passage of SAFE would be an incremental step that actually would further the gap in equity for this industry, even if it temporarily relieves small cannabis business[es] from the oppression of cash-only business management. There’s also risk that it will encourage much bigger industry players, like Amazon, to begin their money moves to position themselves for future domination.” 

In an early June blog post, Amazon announced it would no longer screen prospective hires for cannabis and its policy team would be “actively supporting” the MORE Act.

For now, the SAFE Banking Act awaits a hearing in the Senate after passing a floor vote in the House – just like the MORE Act.

The Hemp Access and Consumer Safety Act

Introduced in the Senate by Senators Rand Paul (R-KY), Ron Wyden (D-OR), and Jeff Merkley (D-OR)

May 2021

Like the SAFE Banking Act, the Hemp Access and Consumer Safety Act is a more incremental cannabis bill that would confirm the legal status of cannabidiol (CBD) and other hemp-derived supplements in foods and beverages. The bill is a companion to the Hemp and Hemp-Derived CBD Consumer Protection and Market Stabilization Act of 2021, which was introduced in the House in February.

The Hemp Access act is designed to help bring clarity to a lucrative yet confusing industry: hemp and CBD. Right now, these products are sold in a gray area, since they’re not technically approved under federal law. Under the Farm Bill of 2018, The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) was supposed to create guidelines to regulate this prominent sector of the cannabis industry. To date, however, not much progress has been made outside of a few statements and official updates.

“The Hemp Access and Consumer Safety Act is a bill that only exists because the FDA has not done its job of regulating hemp-derived cannabinoids as an ingredient,” said Dawson. “I suspect this bill will be supported because it essentially compels the FDA to treat hemp-derived CBD specifically like a dietary supplement.”

“Theoretically it could move pretty easily, since it’s pretty narrowly-focused and is mandating something the FDA promised to do anyway and just hasn’t gotten around to yet,” added Fox when asked about the prospects of the bill in the Senate.

Despite all this activity, industry insiders are still pessimistic about federal cannabis legislation – particularly on a comprehensive scale.

“I think there’s definitely a chance of something passing this year but I don’t necessarily think that it’s going to be a comprehensive descheduling bill,” predicted Fox. 

“At this point, we don’t expect federal legalization to happen this year,” said Dawson. “There is still too large of a gap in cannabis competency at the federal level, across legislators and would-be regulators.”

Rhode Island Capitol TV | ritv.devosvideo.com

More than a decade ago, Rhode Island state Sen. Joshua Miller chaired a commission that examined cannabis prohibition and the effects of what he called a failed policy.

That was in 2010. When Miller finally had the opportunity to introduce an adult-use cannabis bill Tuesday evening on the Senate floor, the upper chamber spent all of 15 minutes discussing the legislation before approving it in a 29-9 vote.

Sponsored by Miller and nine of his Democratic colleagues, Senate Bill 568 would allow adults 21 years and older to possess up to 1 ounce of cannabis or 5 grams of concentrate and grow up to six plants for personal use. The measure would also expedite the expungement process for those with misdemeanor cannabis records.

“It is a historic day, as it is the first time a bill to legalize and regulate cannabis has reached the floor of either legislative chamber in Rhode Island,” Miller said. “We have arrived at this point about 10 years later than I would have liked, and it is important that we act expeditiously to enact a regulatory framework.”

Miller pointed out that neighboring Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont signed adult-use cannabis legislation earlier that day. And neighboring Massachusetts opened up shop for adult-use retail in 2018.

And with Vermont and New York’s legislatures legalizing cannabis in 2018 and 2021, respectively, Rhode Island and New Hampshire are the only two states remaining in New England where prohibition remains intact.

“The longer we wait, the more we put Rhode Island’s eventual cannabis retailers at a disadvantage,” Miller said. “The longer we wait, the more Rhode Island customers are getting into the habit of traveling to a nearby shop over the border, and the more they are building relationships with those companies. And with cannabis so readily available, whether on the black market or readily in neighboring states, Rhode Island must address all of the societal ills, but we will lack the regulatory framework and revenue stream. This legislation is therefore urgently needed.”

Under S.B. 568, cannabis use would be prohibited in public places and unsealed containers would be prohibited from the passenger areas of a motor vehicle.

The legislation aims to create a five-member Cannabis Control Commission to oversee a competitive and accessible licensing structure that Miller said would prevent monopolization of the new market by limiting business entities to one license. The licensing structure would generate tax revenue through a 7% sales tax, a 10% cannabis excise tax and a 3% local sales tax, which would return to municipalities where the point of sale occurred.

In addition, every community would be eligible for at least three retail licenses, but any municipality can opt out if it chooses. Communities can also pass local ordinances to regulate the time, place and manner of cannabis operators, however they cannot impose any additional fees or contingencies.

And on the social equity front, the legislation would create a fund to provide technical and grant assistance to qualified individuals who have been directly and indirectly impacted by prohibition. One-third of the licenses would be reserved for individuals from impacted communities.

“In the development of this bill, we wanted to ensure as many Rhode Islanders as possible have an opportunity to participate in this new economy,” Miller said. “That is why we set low barriers to entry with accessible tiered licensing fees.”

Licensing fees from the 11-tier system range from as low as $100 for up to 1,000 square feet of outdoor grows, to $5,000 for manufacturing and testing entities, and up to $20,000 for the largest cultivators and retailers.

While the bill passed by a 76% majority in the Senate, it competes with two other legalization measures: Gov. Dan McKee introduced a proposal in March that includes a three-year initiative to roll out retail licenses; and House Bill 6370 was introduced by Democratic Rep. Scott Slater on May 28.

Rhode Island Capitol TV | ritv.devosvideo.com

With the Senate-approved bill getting introduced in March, the upper chamber had the opportunity to make some really important improvements to it, Democratic Sen. Samuel Bell said Tuesday on the floor.

“That being said, I do think there are a couple things that the House bill does right that we might be able to modify,” he said. “I think we should make expungement automatic, and I think the tiering structure here is set up in such a way that it allows certain larger cultivators to potentially dominate the market. It’s something that I hope we can tweak. With that being said, I think it’s a really excellent piece of legislation.”

Republican state Sen. Gordon Rogers, who voted against the bill, said the legislation has two shortfalls. First, Rogers said the 3% local sales tax that will be returned to municipalities only takes dispensaries into account and not cultivators. In turn, cultivation-dominant communities absent of retail will be left out, he said.

Rhode Island Capitol TV | ritv.devosvideo.com

Second, Rogers said he’s in favor of a central distribution facility that would act as a middleman between cultivators and dispensaries.

“Let’s say something happens with a fungus or something; it’s growing, it’s a public health issue, you have a central place to find out where it’s coming,” he said. “If it’s coming from growers shooting off the dispensaries, it’s kind of erratic. But if you have a central distribution hub where this can be followed, [there is] control and testing.”

Miller said authors of the bill considered such a distribution center but decided not to go with that concept because of what they observed at operations of retailers in Massachusetts.

“Some of them actually only use maybe one or two cultivators,” Miller said. “And so, the central distribution would just be another security component that would be a burden both to the cultivator and the security, and the tagging and the tracking that you want to go through with the marijuana.”

S.B. 568 will now go to the House for consideration, although only a week remains before the Legislature adjourns June 30. Earlier this month, House Speaker Joe Shekarchi told WPRI-TV that the lower chamber would focus on passing a budget first and possibly push back adult-use cannabis legislation to a special session later this year.

But the Senate’s approval of S.B. 568 on Tuesday is just another example of the momentum behind the nationwide movement to end prohibition, National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) Executive Director Erik Altieri said in a statement.

“The American people are sick and tired of our failed prohibitionist policies and finally their elected officials are enacting the will of their constituents,” he said. “We call upon the Rhode Island General Assembly to follow the Senate’s lead and quickly approve this bill.”