Rhode Island enacts the Rhode Island Cannabis Act, legalizing adult-use sales and automatic expungement
Signed into law on May 25, 2022 after passing the House 55–16 and Senate 32–6, the Rhode Island Cannabis Act immediately legalized up to 1 ounce in public, 10 ounces at home,…
On May 25, 2022—one day after the Rhode Island House voted 55–16 and the State Senate voted 32–6 to pass companion bills H 7593 and S 2430—Governor Dan McKee signed the Rhode Island Cannabis Act into law, making Rhode Island the 19th state in the nation (after South Dakota’s court reversal) to legalize adult-use cannabis.
What the Rhode Island Cannabis Act legalized
- Possession & home storage (effective immediately on May 25, 2022): Adults 21 and older may possess up to 1 ounce of cannabis in public and store up to 10 ounces of usable cannabis at home.
- Home cultivation: Adults 21+ may grow up to 6 cannabis plants per residence indoors (with no more than 3 mature flowering plants at one time), kept in a secure indoor location.
- Automatic court expungement: Rather than requiring residents to hire a lawyer or file individual petitions, the law directed the Rhode Island judiciary to automatically expunge past civil and criminal records for cannabis possession offenses legalized by the Act before July 1, 2024.
- Hybrid retail launch: Existing medical compassion centers were permitted to apply for hybrid adult-use licenses, and recreational retail sales opened in Rhode Island on December 1, 2022.
Originally reported by Rhode Island General Assembly
Sources (1)
- Rhode Island General Assembly, Senate Bill 2430 / House Bill 7593 (Rhode Island Cannabis Act, 2022 Public Laws Chapters 31 & 32), passed Senate 32–6 and House 55–16 on May 24, 2022; signed by Governor Dan McKee on May 25, 2022. https://status.rilegislature.gov/
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