State Sen. Joshua Miller (D-Dist. 28) and State Rep. Scott A. Slater (D-Dist. 10) recently introduced legislation that would legalize, regulate and tax recreational cannabis sales.
The legislation – 2022-S 2430 and 2022-H 7593, would legalize the sale of up to one ounce of cannabis for persons age 21 and older, with no more than 10 ounces for personal use kept in a primary residence, effective Oct. 1.
“The time for Rhode Island to move forward with cannabis legalization is now,” said Miller, chairman of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee. “This historic shift in public policy will create a vibrant new marketplace in our state and end the failed practice of prohibition, which has caused such harm to so many in our communities. To help address those past wrongs, and to ensure all Rhode Islanders have the opportunity to share the economic benefits associated with legalization, equity is a central focus of this legislation.”
Additionally, the bill would enable Rhode Islanders to grow a small amount of cannabis in their homes while enacting a 10 percent state cannabis excise tax in addition to the 7 percent sales tax, plus a 3 percent local tax for the city where the sale occurs.
“We have been studying legalization proposals here for many years, and we now can look to our neighboring states’ experiences and see that taxing and regulating cannabis makes sense,” Slater said. “I’m especially proud that we have made a very deliberate effort to address social equity through this bill. We have to recognize the harm that prohibition has done to communities, particularly minorities and poor, urban neighborhoods, and ensure that those communities get the support they need to benefit from legalization.”