Is weed legal in Rhode Island?
This article is going to cover:
Weed is legal in Rhode Island for recreational use.
And weed is legal in Rhode Island for medical use.
Let’s look at the different types of Rhode Island weed laws.
You’ll see some of the strictest penalties for large amounts of cannabis in Rhode Island.
| Offense | Penalties | Jail Time | Max Fines |
|---|---|---|---|
| Possession | |||
| Up to 1 ounce | None | None | $0 |
| 1 ounce up to 2.2 lbs | Misdemeanor | 1 year | $500 |
| Sale Or Distribution | |||
| 1 ounce – 2.2 lbs | Felony | 30 years | $100,000 |
| 2.2 lbs – 11 lbs | Felony | 50 years | $500,000 |
| 11+ lbs | Felony | lifetime sentence | $500,000 |
| Cultivation | |||
| Same penalties as Sale Or Distribution. | |||
| Hash & Concentrates | |||
| Up to 1 ounce | None | None | $0 |
| 1 ounce up to 2.2 lbs | Misdemeanor | 1 year | $500 |
These are the marijuana laws for personal possession of marijuana.
Recreational cannabis is decriminalized in Rhode Island for adult use.
For recreational pot, possession of up to 1 ounce of cannabis is legal out in public.
You won’t get any jail time or fines for possessing this amount.
You can legally possess up to 10 ounces in a residence.
Possession of 1 ounce up to 2.2 lbs is a misdemeanor.
Related: How Many People Are In Jail For Weed
These are the marijuana laws for personal possession of marijuana with intent to distribute.
Lawmakers automatically assume that you’re intending to distribute with 10+ lbs.
These will all be automatic felony convictions in Rhode Island.
Selling 1 ounce – 2.2 lbs is a felony with:
Selling 2.2 lbs – 11 lbs is a felony with:
Selling 11+ lbs is a felony with:
The cultivation of cannabis plants in Rhode Island got legalized in 2022.
When Democratic Gov. Dan Mckee passed the Rhode Island Cannabis Act.
But the legalization of growing cannabis plants depends on the weight you’re growing.
Growing weed can land you with a felony if you grow too much.
Growing 6 cannabis plants for personal use is fully legal in Rhode Island.
Growing 1 ounce – 2.2 lbs is a felony with:
Growing 2.2 lbs – 11 lbs is a felony with:
Growing 11+ lbs is a felony with:
Adult use of hash has gotten decriminalized in Rhode Island.
Hash and THC concentrate carry the same penalties as marijuana.
For recreational use, possession of up to 1 ounce is legal out in public.
There are no fines, jail time, or convictions for this amount.
You can legally possess up to 10 ounces in a residence.
Possession of 1 ounce up to 2.2 lbs is a misdemeanor.
Possession with intent, or selling of, paraphernalia is a misdemeanor in Rhode Island.
You will get up to 2 years in jail and a $5,000 fine.
Rhode Island decriminalized the recreational use of cannabis in 2022 with S 2430.
You can be in public with up to one ounce of cannabis.
And you can have up to 10 ounces of cannabis in your residence.
Either scenario is legal and you won’t get any:
This section is covering whether weed is legal in Rhode Island for:
Is weed legal in Rhode Island for recreational use?
Yes, weed is legal in Rhode Island for recreational use for adults.
Legal weed in neighboring states like Massachusetts and Connecticut helped.
Lawmakers were able to see how well things played out, which helped make decisions.
Rhode Island decriminalized the recreational use of cannabis in 2022 with S 2430.
Which aims to legalize, regulate, and tax cannabis in Rhode Island.
And made the Rhode Island providence the 19th state to legalize marijuana for adult use.
Yes, weed is legal in Rhode Island for medical use.
The Rhode Island House and Senate passed medical marijuana laws in 2006.
Gov Carcieri vetoed the legislation to allow medical marijuana use.
But the General Assembly voted to override his veto.
In 2009, Rhode Island set up operations for medical dispensaries.
Rhode Island allows 9 licensed medical marijuana dispensaries at a time.
Currently, Rhode Island has medical marijuana dispensaries in:
Providence
Warwick
Portsmouth
And there is an estimated 19,463 medical cannabis patients in the providence.
Patients are allowed to have up to 2.5 ounces of cannabis at a time in public.
And adult caregivers are able to purchase medical marijuana on behalf of the patient.
The qualifying medical conditions for a medical card in Rhode Island are:
Purchasing cannabis outside of a licensed dispensary is illegal for Rhode Island residents.
Lawmakers consider non-dispensary weed controlled substances.
These are Rhode Island’s weed legalization bills.
This medical marijuana law legalized cannabis use for medical treatments.
Rhode Island was the 11th state to pass medical cannabis legalization laws.
Gov Donal Carcieri vetoed the bill originally.
But the Rhode Island House overrode his veto 59-13.
Which approved the Hawkins and Slater Medical Marijuana Act.
Rhode Island medical cannabis cardholders were not subjected to:
This House Bill allowed the creation and regulation of “compassion centers.”
Which are dispensaries that are allowed to do the following with medical marijuana:
Rhode Island medical cannabis cardholders were not subjected to:
Article 14 made big changes to the Medical Cannabis Act in Rhode Island.
This Senate Bill’s two lead sponsors were Senator Joshua Miller and Representative Scott Slater.
This new law allowed the automatic expungement of criminal records related to marijuana.
If the possession amount of recreational marijuana was within the new legal limits.
And now 33 cannabis retailers are able to get retail licenses.
24 of these retail licenses are for the recreational use of marijuana.
The other 9 are for medical marijuana dispensaries.
The State House created a Cannabis Control Commission to regulate the industry.
The retail sales of recreational cannabis are subject to a 7% sales tax.
Democratic Governor Dan Mckee set up a Social Equity Assistance Fund.
This social equity fund gets paid from excise taxes the retail licensees have to pay.
If you’re interested in what states weed is legal in, here’s a list of all the states.
Disclaimer: These codes may not be the most recent version. There may be more current or accurate information. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site or the information linked to on the state site. Please check official sources.
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