The Rhode Island Cannabis Control Commission (CCC) voted on Friday to approve final regulations for the state’s medical and adult-use cannabis industries. Officials must submit the regulations next to the Secretary of State’s Office, and the rules will take effect on May 1, 2025. Under the new rules, the CCC will have full regulatory control over both medical and adult-use cannabis in Rhode Island.
Currently, the medical program is overseen by the Department of Business Regulation’s Office of Cannabis Regulation (OCR). That agency, however, will be converted into the new Cannabis Office, which will “oversee the day-to-day operations of the cannabis industry in Rhode Island,” according to a CCC press release.
Officials said feedback from 381 public comments helped inform their choices for the final regulations, which cover everything cannabis industry-related, including:
- Licensing
- Cultivation, including for medical and personal purposes
- Business operations
- Social equity provisions
- Enforcement
“These finalized regulations reflect my administration’s commitment to ensuring that cannabis oversight in Rhode Island is fair, transparent and rooted in safety. I’m grateful to the commission members, stakeholders and industry leaders whose collaboration helped shape a strong, thoughtful regulatory framework for our state.” — Gov. Dan McKee, in a statement
CCC Chair Kim Ahern said the new rules “represent our collective commitment to regulate our growing cannabis industry in a way that is safe, transparent, and equitable.
“Through extensive public feedback, we’ve ensured that these regulations prioritize safety, industry compliance and the voices of communities that have been historically harmed by cannabis prohibition.”
Rhode Island’s adult-use cannabis industry launched in late 2022, and during the first year of legal sales, licensed operators in the state sold over $100 million worth of cannabis.
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