So here we are — the 2021 legislative session is over and we still don’t have legal cannabis in Rhode Island. Some really critical pieces of legislation were passed, and I heard members from both sides of the aisle expressing support for common sense measures that will do right by Rhode Islanders, including prioritizing racial/gender […]
Much like our roads, the path to cannabis legalization in Rhode Island has been riddled with potholes and slowdowns for many years. Many proponents of legalization felt that 2021 would finally be the year for Rhode Island, thanks to changes in leadership at the State House and an overall appetite by most lawmakers to finally […]
It is imperative that those harmed by cannabis prohibition have a say when it comes to enacting policies that deal with automatic expungement, community reinvestment and civil protections for cannabis consumers. The Formerly Incarcerated Union of RI, which was co-founded on 2019 by directly impacted Rhode Islanders, works to empower and support people who have […]
More than three years after Governor Phil Murphy ran on a campaign promise to legalize marijuana, cannabis legalization for adult use is finally the law of the land in New Jersey. Voters overwhelmingly approved legalization through a ballot measure back in November, but months of disagreements among lawmakers and the governor’s administration held up final […]
Massachusetts was miles ahead of Rhode Island when they legalized cannabis for adult use in 2016, especially when you consider the comprehensive social equity provisions included in their legalization framework. While far from perfect, the Social Equity Program certainly set a new standard for what we should expect when it comes to state social equity […]
2020 will go down in history as a good year for literally no one. The unimaginable combination of a global pandemic, resulting economic crisis, political mayhem and widespread panic have tested all of us more than we probably thought was possible. But as I reflected on the year through the lens of cannabis policy, I […]
We all know the concept of voting with our wallets, but how many of us end up heading straight for Amazon Prime free shipping and big box Black Friday sales when it comes time for holiday shopping? Of course we can’t be conscious consumers all the time, but our purchasing choices feel more important than […]
Cannabis reform is certainly not the political issue on the top of everyone’s mind this election season, but in the five states considering some form of legalization for medical or adult use, there is even more at stake when they hit the polls on November 3. Without much movement happening in Rhode Island cannabis policy, […]
In part one of my Pot Politics 2020 series, I covered Donald Trump’s unsurprising oscillations on US marijuana policy in recent years. This time, I turn the lens to examine the policies (past, present and future) and the people who are on the Democratic ticket in this election: Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. “Architects of […]
Listen, I know that marijuana reform is not even close to the top of anyone’s political wishlist for the 2020 election. Which makes sense — in a political climate where every vote cast feels like a vote for critical issues like climate change, economic justice and human rights, who is really thinking about cannabis legalization? […]
