By Bob Plain in
Rhode Island’s Future
All the relevant metrics seem to support legalizing marijuana in
Rhode Island.
A new poll from Regulate
Rhode Island show 59 percent of
Rhode Island supports making marijuana legal. That’s a steady increase from
similar polls in past years, said Regulate RI Director Jared Moffat.
“We have seen support steadily increasing over the years,” he
said. “This is a sign that the people of the Rhode Island support this and as
time goes on, support only grows. We feel that now is the time for Rhode Island
to move forward.”
More importantly, majorities in both chambers of the state
legislature are ready to vote for the so-called tax and regulate bill,
according to an unofficial whip count.
This last obstacle is convincing Senate President Teresa Paiva
Weed and House Speaker Nick Mattiello.
Activists thought they had majority support in both chambers last year, too, but the bill never got a vote.
Activists thought they had majority support in both chambers last year, too, but the bill never got a vote.
“I think they are being much more open-minded about it than any
year past,” said Senator Josh Miller, at a press conference earlier this week.
He said the latest poll should help convince legislative leadership. “One of the reasons of going out and spending the time and money on a poll is to add to that open-mindedness.”
Miller added, “I’m more confident than ever, that’s the best
prediction I can give you. I’ve gotten great signals from people both privately
and publicly on their support. We’re trending towards success.”
Moffat said after the press conference, “We are very confident
that if the bill is allowed to come up for a vote, we have the majority of
votes we need in both chambers. The only question is whether the Speaker and
Senate President will allow the process to move forward.”
Rhode Island would be the ninth state to legalize cannabis:
Colorado, Washington, Oregon, California, Alaska, Nevada, Maine, and – most
critically – Massachusetts have already done so.
Possession of pot is now legal
in Massachusetts, after voters approved a referendum in November, and the state
legislature is deciding on a regulatory structure for retail sales.
“For us not to do it now, we’re going to miss out on a major
opportunity,” said Rep. Scott Slater, the lead sponsor in the House. “When
Massachusetts goes live you better believe they are going to pop up stores all
along the border of our state.”
Moffat said Rhode Island can expect $48 million in additional
tax revenue by 2020 if it moves forward with legalization this year.
This is the seventh year the state legislature has considered a
bill to legalize marijuana. Miller scoffed at the notion that Rhode Island
should take a wait-and-see approach.
“Slow down?” he said. “We had a Senate commission that studied
the prohibition of marijuana in 2011, the bill has been out there for several
years, we now have other state models in Washington and Colorado and elsewhere
that have gone through with very little administrative or legal obstacles to
them. I think we have been slow on this, slower than most legislators want and
slower than the polls show most citizens of Rhode Island want to go on this.”
Bob Plain is the
editor/publisher of Rhode Island's Future. Previously, he's worked as a
reporter for several different news organizations both in Rhode Island and
across the country.