Close Menu
  • Home
  • News
  • Lifestyle
  • Law
  • Business
  • Education

Subscribe to Updates

Get the latest creative news from FooBar about art, design and business.

What's Hot

California Governor Touts Results of Intoxicating Hemp Ban

May 9, 2025

California Governor Touts Results of Intoxicating Hemp Ban

May 9, 2025

Pennsylvania House Passes Cannabis Legalization Bill

May 8, 2025
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
Saturday, May 10
  • Home
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram LinkedIn VKontakte
Smoke Professional
  • Home
  • News

    More Than 1,000 Arrested in Sweep of U.K. Weed Grows

    July 8, 2023

    Scotland Calls On UK To End ‘Failed’ Drug War With Decriminalization And Harm Reduction Approach

    July 8, 2023

    Germany’s draft law for first phase of cannabis reform

    July 8, 2023

    High Times Cannabis Cup Illinois: People’s Choice Edition 2023 Kicks Off

    July 8, 2023

    Pennsylvania Committee Advances Expansion to State Medical Cannabis Program

    July 7, 2023
  • Lifestyle

    How Watching the News Can Trigger Anxiety and Panic Attacks

    October 28, 2024

    Record High Cannabis and Hallucinogen Use Among Adults

    October 27, 2024

    Weekend Sleep Catch-Up May Lower Heart Disease Risk by 20%

    October 27, 2024

    Energy Drinks Linked to Poor Sleep Quality and Insomnia

    October 26, 2024

    First Psychedelic Church for Magic Mushrooms

    October 26, 2024
  • Law

    Pennsylvania House Passes Cannabis Legalization Bill

    May 8, 2025

    Nebraska Lawmakers to Reconsider Bill to Implement Voter-Approved Medical Cannabis Law

    May 7, 2025

    Bill to Legalize Adult-Use Cannabis Filed in Pennsylvania

    May 6, 2025

    New Hampshire Senate Blocks Adult-Use Cannabis Legalization Bill

    May 2, 2025

    Cannabis Taxation: C Corp, S Corp, LLC, LLP, Partnership, Nonprofit, or Something Else for Your Cannabis Business?

    April 30, 2025
  • Business

    California Governor Touts Results of Intoxicating Hemp Ban

    May 9, 2025

    California Governor Touts Results of Intoxicating Hemp Ban

    May 9, 2025

    Cannabis Company CEO Considering New Mexico Gubernatorial Bid

    May 8, 2025

    U.S. Supreme Court Declines to Hear Challenge to Medical Cannabis Advertising Ban

    May 8, 2025

    Minnesota Cannabis Licensing Lotteries Scheduled for June 5

    May 7, 2025
  • Education

    CBD and the Aging Population—What Science Says Today

    March 12, 2025

    Wholesale Nootropic Skincare: Boost Your Product Line

    March 10, 2025

    Ideal for Your Business Needs

    March 8, 2025

    A Must-have For Every Smoke Shop

    March 3, 2025

    The Perfect Addition to Your Product Line

    March 1, 2025
Smoke Professional
You are at:Home»News»New Rhode Island Marijuana Regulatory Commission Holds First Meeting
News

New Rhode Island Marijuana Regulatory Commission Holds First Meeting

adminBy adminJuly 2, 2023No Comments4 Mins Read
Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
Share
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email

“We know that many people have been waiting for us to start. And we are looking forward to working.”

By Christopher Shea, Rhode Island Current

Nearly a year after it was supposed to be formed, Rhode Island’s Cannabis Control Commission is finally getting to work, though it will take at least through the summer until it is truly up and running.

The three-member commission met for the first time Thursday at the Department of Administration building to introduce itself to the public, along with listening to a 50-minute presentation from the Rhode Island Ethics Commission — which took up most of the hour-long meeting.

“We know that many people have been waiting for us to start,” Commission Chair Kimberly Ahern said in an interview after the meeting. “And we are looking forward to working.”

Along with Ahern, commission members include former State Rep. Robert Jacquard and personal injury attorney Olayiwola Oduyingbo. The Cannabis Control Commission has yet to schedule its second meeting.

The commission is tasked with overseeing regulation and licensing of recreational and medical marijuana in the state. That process is likely to begin later in the summer, Ahern said.

First, Ahern said, the commission still needs to hire two positions: an administrative professional and its chief legal counsel. The chief legal counsel has a salary ranging from $105,319 to $122,2900. The position was posted online Tuesday and is open for applications through July 6.

As of Thursday June 29, there is no online posting for an administrative professional.

Ahern said commissioners also plan to conduct a listening tour across Rhode Island, which she said was done by the Cannabis Control Commission in neighboring Massachusetts. No stops have been scheduled yet, but Ahern said sessions will likely be held in municipalities like Bristol, Providence, and Warwick.

“Maybe even further depending on how the turnout is,” she said. “Once we do that, then we’ll have a better baseline for future meetings.”

Hearing from all Rhode Islanders, Ahern said, ties in with the commission’s goal of prioritizing social equity measures.

Under the state’s marijuana legalization law, a “social equity” applicant as someone who has “been disproportionately impacted by criminal enforcement of marijuana laws, including individuals convicted of nonviolent marijuana offenses, immediate family members of individuals convicted of nonviolent marijuana offenses, and individuals who have resided in disproportionately impacted areas for at least five of the last 10 years.”

“We want to hear from those who have been most closely impacted,” Ahern said.

The state currently has seven licensed compassion centers allowed to sell recreational and medical marijuana in Rhode Island. The commission is empowered to grant 24 more retail licenses, with six reserved for social equity applicants and another six are reserved for worker owned cooperatives.

But before that can happen, the state still needs to set up a Cannabis Advisory Board, consisting of 11 voting members and eight non-voting members. The board will make recommendations on rules and regulations to the commission.

“We need that board,” said Jason Calderon, the vice president and CEO of Bonsai Buds, an Exeter-based cannabis cultivator. “And how long is that going to take?”

Without a Cannabis Advisory Board, Caledron said the Commission can’t really do its job, which impacts his business. With things moving this slowly, he said his three-year business plan won’t likely become reality until six or seven years.

Thankfully, he said his cultivation business has enough revenue to be self-sustaining.

“Right now we’re in survival mode, we should be in thriving mode,” Calderon said.

What could allow his business to thrive is the ability to advertise, which up until this month was banned for Rhode Island-based dispensaries. The General Assembly passed legislation that lets the Office of Cannabis Regulation create rules around marijuana advertising for hybrid cannabis retailers — not cultivators.

“That just creates another monopoly,” Calderon said. “It’s like this state loves to create things that create conflicts of interest.”

Ahern said there is no time frame yet on when the commission expects to take over advertising rules.

“When we start getting into the actual body of the regulations, that will be one of the meetings,” she said.

Though Calderon expressed frustration with the slow movement by the state to support its marijuana industry, he said he is happy to see the commission formed and meeting.

“Now we actually have an accountability body,” Calderon said. “That’s huge.”

This story was first published by Rhode Island Current.

Photo courtesy of Mike Latimer.

Source link

Commission Holds Island Marijuana Meeting Regulatory Rhode
Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
Previous ArticleCatalonia Crackdown: Spanish Region Reins In Cannabis Industry
Next Article Travis Kelce Estimates Up to 80% of NFL Players Smoke Pot, Others Say It’s Higher
admin
  • Website

Related Posts

Alabama Parents Sue Medical Cannabis Commission Over Failure to Implement Program On Time

May 1, 2025

Swiss Parliamentary Commission Advances Cannabis Legalization Bill

February 18, 2025

Meeting Sustainability Demands in 2025

February 5, 2025

Comments are closed.

Our Picks

California Governor Touts Results of Intoxicating Hemp Ban

May 9, 2025

California Governor Touts Results of Intoxicating Hemp Ban

May 9, 2025

Pennsylvania House Passes Cannabis Legalization Bill

May 8, 2025

Cannabis Company CEO Considering New Mexico Gubernatorial Bid

May 8, 2025
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • Vimeo
Don't Miss
Business

California Governor Touts Results of Intoxicating Hemp Ban

By adminMay 9, 20250

The Office of California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) announced on Thursday that the state’s ban…

California Governor Touts Results of Intoxicating Hemp Ban

May 9, 2025

Pennsylvania House Passes Cannabis Legalization Bill

May 8, 2025

Cannabis Company CEO Considering New Mexico Gubernatorial Bid

May 8, 2025

Subscribe to Updates

Get the latest creative news from Smoke Unlimited about Weed & CBD vaping.

From Our Partners
About Us
About Us

Get all the current news stories, latest trends and legislation regarding cannabidiol, products, usages and its benefits. So don’t miss out any buzz and stay tuned! We offer a minute to minute updates regarding Marijuana industry.

Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest
Our Picks

California Governor Touts Results of Intoxicating Hemp Ban

May 9, 2025

California Governor Touts Results of Intoxicating Hemp Ban

May 9, 2025

Pennsylvania House Passes Cannabis Legalization Bill

May 8, 2025
Sponsors
Copyright © 2025. SmokeProfessional
  • Home
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.