End Marijuana Prohibition —

Join Regulate Rhode Island

BY BETH COMERY, Providence Daily Dose

Supporters of the move to end marijuana prohibition in Rhode Island can now organize under one banner. The newly launched Regulate Rhode Island is a coalition of citizens and advocacy groups who will be focusing their efforts on educating the public and persuading the members of the General Assembly to pass the “Marijuana Control, Regulate, and Tax” soon to be introduced by Sen. Josh Miller (D-Cranston) and Rep. Edith Ajello (D-Providence).

The brains and initiative behind RRI is the highly dedicated progressive power couple — my cheeky characterization, not theirs — Jared Moffat and Rebecca McGoldrick. Prior to his graduation last spring, Moffat was the director of the Brown University chapter of Students for Sensible Drug Policy, while McGoldrick is the executive director of Protect Families First, a grassroots organization that promotes issues affecting Rhode Island youth and families.

I cannot overstate the role these two have played over the past years in organizing the marijuana reform movement, particularly by organizing the speakers needed to testify before the various committee hearings at the State House. (Chris Reilly of the Bradford Group has also been a huge help — among other things, by keeping his eye on the legislative calendar and alerting everyone to the upcoming hearings.) These are some of the first people to thank for shepherding the Marijuana Decriminalization Law into being.

So check out the Regulate Rhode Island website where you can like and share and tweet. You can also help out with a donation which I assure you will be used wisely. Among the supporters already on board are the Marijuana Policy Project and Law Enforcement Against Prohibition* (both these organizations were a huge help with us at the State House) and the Drug Policy Alliance, Students for Sensible Drug Policy (Brown and URI chapters), NORML, Marijuana Majority, and more.

Let’s legalize and regulate marijuana in Rhode Island now.

*Beth Comery is a speaker for LEAP.