“The initial launch of regulated adult use cannabis has demonstrated the State of Rhode Island’s success in carefully expanding into this new and growing industry. Going forward, the CCC will work to ensure that Rhode Island’s adult use and medical cannabis industries are regulated in a safe, transparent and equitable manner.” -Kim Ahern, Chairperson, Cannabis Control Commission
By Christopher Shea, Rhode Island Current
Nearly two years after its formation, Rhode Island’s three-member Cannabis Control Commission only needed 18 minutes Friday to approve an inaugural set of rules that will govern the state’s budding cannabis market.
Regulations will take effect May 1, putting the state another step closer to issuing licenses for two dozen new retail pot shops and making the Office of Cannabis Regulation become its own independent entity.
The new rules establish new packaging and labeling requirements, outline how licenses will be awarded, and set the criteria to apply for one of the six social equity retail licenses.
Commission Chairperson Kimberly Ahern acknowledged the long road to finalize the new rules but said it was crucial to balance industry growth with safety. All the work drafting the regulations was done in-house, rather than relying on an out-of-state contractor, she added.
“These are truly home-grown, just like our cultivators,” she said following the panel’s vote. “This is an industry that is growing here thoughtfully, intentionally, deliberately—and it needs to reflect that.”
With the regulations approved, the commission can officially take over control of Rhode Island’s cannabis industry as envisioned in the 2022 legalization law. Since recreational cannabis was legalized, the Department of Business Regulation has had oversight of the state’s fledgling recreational market.
The final approval was met with little fanfare from nearly a dozen cannabis industry representatives who attended the meeting, but many said they were excited to see the governing rules become reality.
“It’s awesome that this finally happened—we’ve been waiting years for this,” Peter Kasabian, co-founder of Sensible Cultivators for Intelligent Reform co-founder, told Rhode Island Current.
It’s certainly been a long road for Rhode Island to establish its recreational cannabis market, which was legalized by state lawmakers in 2022. Over a year passed before the three-member commission was impaneled, which then needed to hire staff to draft proposals and conduct a review of rules adopted in other states.
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