S 2430 - Authorizes the Recreational Use of Marijuana

S 568 - Establishes the Cannabis Control Commission

Lead sponsor of S2895 to legalize, tax, and regulate adult use marijuana in 2018

“Legal marijuana sales will be available to Rhode Islanders as soon as Massachusetts retailers start offering it in July. But Massachusetts will keep the revenue from their purchases when Rhode Islanders cross the border to get it. At that point, we will have just as many people using it, plus an unregulated, untaxed market in Rhode Island, with none of the money we would get for drug prevention and education programs, for law enforcement or for our general fund. We need this bill to give our state the resources to handle marijuana, rather than letting those resources stay in Massachusetts when our residents buy legal marijuana there and then use it here,”  2017 Link

The bill’s main sponsor in the Senate, Democratic Sen. Joshua Miller of Cranston, had introduced his long-shot legislation for several years without success but said there is more momentum this year. Other lawmakers might take the legislation more seriously when there’s support from people in leadership positions, Miller said.

“It’s not outlier legislation,” he said Friday. 2/23/2016 Link

Email: sen-miller@rilegislature.gov

Web: http://www.rilin.state.ri.us/senators/Miller/default.aspx

Phone: 401-276-5568