Rhode Island Will License Medical Marijuana Shops

By Ryan Grim, Huffington Post. Posted June 22, 2009.

Once the law takes effect, the state will be the first in the nation to have one officially licensed nonprofit center selling marijuana.

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The Rhode Island legislature overrode a gubernatorial veto of a medical marijuana law Tuesday afternoon by an overwhelming margin, paving the way for state-licensed medical marijuana shops to begin operating. The House voted 68-0 for the pot measure and the senate moved it minutes later by a 35-3 count.

Once the law takes effect, the state will be the first in the nation to have one officially licensed nonprofit center selling marijuana. Over time, the state will license further nonprofit dispensaries.

The bill got a boost in the state after a much publicized incident in which a pot dealer beat up a medical marijuana patient. Proponents of the bill argued that patients shouldn't have to deal with unregulated, unlicensed drug dealers, but deserved a more orderly system.

In March, New Mexico became the first state to grant a state license to a medical marijuana producer.

"We are seeing a historic shift to allowing state-licensed, regulated medical marijuana production and distribution," said Karen O'Keefe of the Marijuana Policy Project after the vote.

Legislators in Delaware, Illinois, Iowa, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina and Pennsylvania are considering similar legislation. Arizona and Maine voters may soon vote on similar initiatives.

The Rhode Island bill's passage was only made possible by President Obama's announcement that his Justice Department would not raid medical marijuana dispensaries in states where they were following the law.

California's dispensaries operate legally in the state but don't have the kind of exclusive state license that the new Rhode Island shop will have.

Jesse Stout, executive director of the Rhode Island Patient Advocacy Coalition, which led the charge on the bill, said that state Rep. Tom Slater's announcement Saturday that he would himself begin using medical marijuana to treat his rapidly advancing cancer swayed the General Assembly. Slater, a Democrat, is the bill's sponsor.

The Rhode Island Department of Health will license one nonprofit "compassion center" in 2010 and two more in 2011. They will grow and distribute marijuana and provide it to an unlimited number of patients.

My book, This Is Your Country On Drugs: The Secret History of Getting High in America, is now out.

See more stories tagged with: marijuana, pot, rhode island, politics news, weed, legalize marijuana

Ryan Grim is an editorial intern at Washington City Paper.

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R.I. Licenses Pot, But Won't Legalize Gay Marriage. . . [Report this comment] Posted by: SkeeterVT1 on Jun 22, 2009 2:50 AM Current rating: 5 [1 = poor; 5 = excellent] Shame on Rhode Island . . .not for being the first state to license marijuana, but for being the only new England state that refuses to legalize same-gender marriage. With a conservative Republican occupying the governor's office -- and the Legislature lacking the two-thirds majority in either house needed to override a veto, gay and lesbian Rhode Islanders will have to wait until after the 2010 elections before a bill to legalize same-gender marriage will have any chance of becoming law -- unless the federal courts declare California's Proposition 8 and all other state laws banning such marriages unconstitutional under the Fourteenth Amendment beforehand. . . [« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5] » RE: .I. Licenses Pot, But Won't Legalize Gay Marriage. . . Posted by: kungfuma » RE: Agents say DEA is forcing them illegally to work in Afghanistan Posted by: Sister_Lauren » RE: .I. Licenses Pot, But Won't Legalize Gay Marriage. . . Posted by: Aquinas » RE: .I. Licenses Pot, But Won't Legalize Gay Marriage. . . Posted by: AngryWhiteFemale A humiliating veto!!! [Report this comment] Posted by: xvictor on Jun 22, 2009 5:49 AM Current rating: 5 [1 = poor; 5 = excellent] The Rethug governor must feel very humble and so emasculated after the House overwhelmingly overrode his nonsense veto. Other states are watching and learning. Outdated Repug ideology is publicly waning. As Ronnie Raygun once said "it's morning in America!" hahahahhaha [« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5] Non-Profit! Can't wait to see the prices! [Report this comment] Posted by: kettleblack on Jun 22, 2009 6:54 AM Current rating: Not yet rated [1 = poor; 5 = excellent] Let's just see what kind of pricing structure the regulators come up with. Maybe the black & gray markets will drop their prices too. Warning to the "Mexican Mafia": find another source of revenue. Hey, they did not say anything about growing in your own back yard! Where's the freedom? [« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5] » RE: Non-Profit! Can't wait to see the prices! Posted by: pbullwinkle » RE: Thanks for the information Posted by: kettleblack It takes a Lawmaker contracting Cancer to pass a MediMari Law. [Report this comment] Posted by: kettleblack on Jun 22, 2009 7:07 AM Current rating: Not yet rated [1 = poor; 5 = excellent] Is it only when the disease hits home that our politicians find the courage to stand up for Medical Marijuana? While commendable that Rep. Slater announced that he will use Medical Marijuana once approved, I find it typical of our elected officials to keep their heads in the sand until their own survival is at stake. Compassion is treating the people, not incarcerating them. It's time for the rest of the politicians to pull their heads out of the sand. Fact: ZERO deaths have been attributed to marijuana use, abuse, or overdose. Period. [« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5] Oregon will vote on initiative allowing dispensaries in 2010 [Report this comment] Posted by: Jim in Eugene on Jun 22, 2009 12:27 PM Current rating: Not yet rated [1 = poor; 5 = excellent] I hope their regulations are worthy of replication. There are to many states that don’t allow patients to have reasonable prices and safe access to their medicine already. Oregon activists are working on an initiative that will allow non profit operated, state regulated dispensaries. The initiative allows for free medicine for our low income patients who receive SSI or food stamps. We will still allow home growers. See http://www.coalitionforpatientsrights.com for details. [« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5] "legal costs" [Report this comment] Posted by: tokerdesigner on Jun 22, 2009 4:50 PM Current rating: Not yet rated [1 = poor; 5 = excellent] Wishing purchasers in Rhode Island luck. The devil may lurk in the doubletalk of rules. I had a look at the Illinois proposal and received the impression that you would need a lawyer to wade through all the paperwork and get your hands on a few tokes. The cost of that legal assistance goes on top of whatever price prevails for the product itself. [« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5] scottportraits [Report this comment] Posted by: scottportraits on Jun 22, 2009 7:31 PM Current rating: Not yet rated [1 = poor; 5 = excellent] Rhode Island is a step ahead of 49 states if it's legislature is so wise as to pass these exemptions. They will generate cash for the state as the medicine is taxed, and the sick will have a place to go and get what they need, besides the streets and ghettos. [« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5] » RE: Hawaii & New Mexico state legislatures already passed laws Posted by: kettleblack Stepping Razor [Report this comment] Posted by: Steppin Razor on Jun 29, 2009 4:12 PM Current rating: Not yet rated [1 = poor; 5 = excellent] I would like to know WHY the dealer beat him up. BTW, I am for COMPLETE legalization of marijuana. [« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

» RE: .I. Licenses Pot, But Won't Legalize Gay Marriage. . . Posted by: kungfuma

» RE: Agents say DEA is forcing them illegally to work in Afghanistan Posted by: Sister_Lauren

» RE: .I. Licenses Pot, But Won't Legalize Gay Marriage. . . Posted by: Aquinas

» RE: .I. Licenses Pot, But Won't Legalize Gay Marriage. . . Posted by: AngryWhiteFemale

» RE: Non-Profit! Can't wait to see the prices! Posted by: pbullwinkle

» RE: Thanks for the information Posted by: kettleblack

» RE: Hawaii & New Mexico state legislatures already passed laws Posted by: kettleblack