By Tessa Roy, WPRO News
Governor Gina Raimondo said she’s reluctant to work on legalizing marijuana, but now seems to be the time.
“I felt that with Massachusetts going on line, Connecticut about to come on line, New York and New Jersey proposing it, it wasn’t practical any longer,” she told reporters on Monday.
Raimondo, who included marijuana sales revenue in her proposed budget for the upcoming year, said the system she’s proposed to the legislature would be the most regulated system yet among states that have legalized marijuana.
“We are not allowing home grow, we are not allowing the most potent of the marijuana options, and we’re going to do everything we can to make sure that hiring is maintained and we keep people safe,” she said.
Under Raimondo’s proposal, only medical marijuana patients will get access to high potency products, and only patients who demonstrate “hardship” would be allowed to keep growing at home. The Department of Business Regulation would be able to cap the potency of available products through a new Office of Cannabis Regulation.
Raimondo has repeatedly said public safety is a priority over revenue, and claims there’s “not much” money to be made through legalized marijuana anyway. According to her proposal, which would dedicate a portion of the revenue to public safety measures, the state would see $6.5 million under a 20% total tax rate.
Her plan gives cities and towns some oversight on stores – they have control over where the stores can be located and can prohibit them entirely through local referendums. All cities and towns would get 15% of all gross revenue, but larger shares would go to cities and towns that have the “greatest number and volume” of stores.
Under Raimondo’s plan, the first stores could open in January 2020 with additional licensees to follow.
The Rhode Island Police Chiefs’ Association reacted to potential legalization in a lengthy statement, saying providing increased funding to local communities and police departments through marijuana sales revenue should be a priority.
“The RIPCA has testified over the years that our biggest concern is having the resources to allow our officers on the roads the ‘tools’ to do their jobs. We have expressed concerns that the state hasn’t given the appropriate resources to regulate, monitor and enforce the current regulations in place for our current medical marijuana program and now we are going to allow the vast majority of our residents to possess and use marijuana?,” said RIPCA Executive Director Sid Wordell. “The Rhode Island Police Chiefs’ Association will continue to work with the Legislature, striving to provide factual assistance with our emphasis being weighed toward public safety when discussing this evolving issue. Our hope is that the Governor’s office recognizes the thousands of hours of collective experience that local law enforcement can provide in assistance to enhancing the safety and welfare of our citizens as this proposal moves forward.”
