Raimondo Out of Budget Ideas? Gov. Proposing Legalization of Marijuana in RI
GoLocalProv News Team
Raimondo Out of Budget Ideas? Gov. Proposing Legalization of Marijuana in RI
Now, Raimondo is rolling out a plan to legalize marijuana as her first major initiative for her second term.
Massachusetts opened its first stores in mid-November and has only just begun -- to date, fewer than ten have opened or been approved to operate.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTSix retail locations are open and three more have been approved. None of the approved locations are in a major city. A Fall River location is scheduled to open in later in January.
It is unclear what has been learned in the two months.
To date, marijuana tax revenue to the Commonwealth has seen massive growth. Forbes reports, “Bay State’s legal pot business has been raking it in thus far. In just six weeks, customers spent nearly $15 million at the two locations and three others that opened their doors in 2018, according to Massachusetts’ Cannabis Control Commission (CCC), the independent regulatory body that oversees the state’s recreational and medical marijuana industries. With dozens of applications for additional stores in works, CCC chairman Steven Hoffman recently said he expects to see between four to eight new marijuana retailers come online per month moving forward.”
Raimondo’s Motivation
Part of Raimondo’s motivation may be a scramble to make up for revenue for what looks to be a failed sports betting initiative that she spearheaded.
The bungled and delayed launch downgraded state revenue estimates from $23.5 in the fiscal year to just $11.5 million and even reaching that number may be stretch.
Repeatedly in interviews on GoLocal LIVE, Speaker of the House Nick Mattiello has repeatedly expressed reluctance to legalize marijuana for consumer use without significant study. In order to realize any significant revenue boost in the upcoming fiscal year, there would be little data from Massachusetts to evaluate.
Marijuana Legal in MA, Sports Betting Going Live in RI — What You Need to Know - Nov, 2018
Age - MA Marijuana
You must be 21 years of age unless you have an existing medical condition which allows you to access medical marijuana.
Age - Sports Betting Rhode Island
Gamblers must be 18 years of age or older for all forms of gambling in RI.
Can Out-of-Staters Buy Marijuana in MA?
There is no prohibition to Rhode Islanders -- or anyone else -- from buying in the Commonwealth.
Can Out of Staters Sports Bet in RI?
Much of the marketing will be focused on out-of-staters.
Is There a Limit to How Much Marijuana You Can Buy?
According to the Boston Globe:
Retail shops cannot sell more than one ounce of marijuana flower or five grams of concentrate to a person in a single purchase. One ounce is also the maximum amount of flower individuals are legally allowed to have on them in public, though you can possess up to 10 ounces at home. The five-gram limit on sales also stands for edibles and other cannabis-infused products (eight grams of concentrate is the rough equivalent of one ounce of flower).
There are also dosage limitations on the sales of edibles. A single serving cannot have more than 5 milligrams of tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, the primary psychoactive in marijuana that gets you high. Packages of edibles can have up to 20 individual servings or a total of 100 milligrams of THC. Shaleen Title, a CCC commissioner, notes that beginners should begin with a single 5 milligram serving, since it can take up to two hours to feel the effects (the effects of edibles last longer as well).
Is There a Limit to How Much You Can Bet in RI?
There is no limit.
Where Can I Buy Marijuana?
Starting Tuesday, Nov. 20, two shops will be open in MA. New England Treatment Access in Northampton and Cultivate in Leicester.
Where Can I Sports Bet in RI?
When the program finally launches -- one can bet at Twin River in Lincoln, RI and the Tiverton Twin River facility is expected to begin sports gaming in December, but to date, all deadlines have been missed.
