2026 -- H 7856

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LC005455

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2026

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO FOOD AND DRUGS -- THE RHODE ISLAND CANNABIS ACT

     Introduced By: Representatives Hopkins, Casey, J. Brien, Corvese, and Noret

     Date Introduced: February 27, 2026

     Referred To: House Corporations

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

     SECTION 1. Sections 21-28.11-10.1 and 21-28.11-5 of the General Laws in Chapter 21-

28.11 entitled "The Rhode Island Cannabis Act" are hereby amended to read as follows:

     21-28.11-10.1. Transitional period and transfer of authority.

     (a) To protect public health and public safety, upon the effective date of this chapter [May

25, 2022] until final issuance of the commission’s rules and regulations promulgated pursuant to

the provisions of this chapter, there shall exist a transitional period of regulatory and enforcement

authority regarding the production, possession, regulation, distribution, sale, and use of cannabis

relating to the sale by hybrid cannabis retailers of adult use cannabis pursuant to § 21-28.11-10.

     (b) During the transitional period, the office of cannabis regulation shall prescribe such

forms, procedures, and requirements as necessary to facilitate the acquisition of hybrid retail and

cultivation licenses by compassion centers and cultivators licensed pursuant to chapter 28.6 of this

title.

     (c) Such forms, procedures, and requirements shall be posted on the website of the office

of cannabis regulation no later than October 15, 2022, at which time an application period will

commence. Applications shall be received, reviewed, and approved on a rolling basis provided that

in no case shall an approved hybrid retailer begin adult use sales before December 1, 2022.

     (d) The forms, procedures, and requirements prescribed by the office of cannabis regulation

shall incorporate, but shall not be limited to, the following:

     (1) Requirements pertaining to the physical premises of hybrid retail licensees. Where

physically possible these shall include prospective licensee plans to physically separate marijuana

and marijuana products designated for adult use and medical sales, respectively, in inventory,

storage, and customer-facing floor and display areas; plans to physically separate sales areas for

adult use and medical sales, which may be provided by a temporary or semi-permanent physical

barrier; plans to provide and maintain a patient consultation area that will allow privacy for

confidential consultation with qualifying patients; and plans to prioritize patient and caregiver

identification verification and physical entry into retail areas in the event of capacity or other

constraints; however, if the premises of a hybrid retail licensee does not allow the licensee to meet

the requirements of this subsection or would cause undue hardship on the licensee, the office of

cannabis regulation may authorize the hybrid retail licensee to conduct adult use sales at an adjunct

location. In authorizing any such adjunct location, the office shall require, at a minimum, the

following:

     (i) The adjunct location must be physically located within the same municipality and

geographic zone;

     (ii) The adjunct location must comply with all municipal zoning requirements and obtain

municipal approval;

     (iii) The approval of any adjunct location will not cause undue hardship upon another

licensed cannabis retailer; and

     (iv) In the instance that an adjunct location is approved by the office, the hybrid cannabis

retailer shall not be permitted to engage in the sale of cannabis for adult use at more than one

premises.

     (2) Requirements pertaining to inventory, product, and sales tracking. These shall include

prospective licensee submission of plans to electronically separate finished marijuana products

designated for medical or adult use sales in hybrid licensees’ inventory and sales tracking systems.

If prospective hybrid licensees are conducting cultivation activities, they shall submit plans to

distinguish between sales of marijuana or finished marijuana products at wholesale based on

designation for medical or adult use sales.

     (3) Requirements relating to the maintenance of medical marijuana program service levels.

These shall include prospective licensee submission of comprehensive policies and procedures

detailing plans to maintain a sufficient quantity and variety of medical marijuana products, and if

substitutions of medical marijuana products with adult use marijuana products are to be made, a

justification for such substitutions. Prospective hybrid licensees shall also be required to designate

an individual who will be primarily responsible for maintenance of medical marijuana program

service levels and ongoing compliance with existing program requirements, rules, and regulations.

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     (4) Requirements relating to operating plans, policies, and procedures. These shall include

prospective licensee submission, maintenance of, and adherence to a set of written standard

operating procedures that encompass both adult use and medical marijuana service lines. These

operating plans and procedures shall take the form of an updated operations manual as currently

required under medical marijuana program regulations and shall include, but not be limited to,

policies and procedures relating to the maintenance of medical marijuana program service levels

as defined in this section.

     (5) Requirements relating to the advertising of cannabis and cannabis products by hybrid

cannabis retailers who have been permitted to sell adult use cannabis and hybrid cannabis

cultivators who have been permitted to cultivate adult use cannabis pursuant to the provisions of

this chapter; provided that, no advertisements for the advertising of cannabis and cannabis products

on any medium including, but not limited to, social media, Internet search engines, online

advertisements, email marketing, audio/video streaming services, television, radio, newspapers,

magazines, direct mail, and billboards, that may be visible to minors.

     (e) Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this section, all prospective and approved

applicants for hybrid cannabis retailer and cannabis cultivator licenses under this chapter shall

maintain compliance with the existing provisions of chapter 28.6 of this title and the regulations

promulgated thereunder until final issuance of the commission’s rules and regulations, including,

but not limited to, existing restrictions and requirements related to financial disclosures; registration

of owners, managers, key persons, agents, and employees; product testing; packaging and labeling;

transportation; and home delivery.

     (f) Forms, procedures, and requirements relating to this transitional period may be amended

by the office of cannabis regulation or the commission up until the final issuance of the

commission’s regulations pursuant to the provisions of this chapter at which time the forms,

procedures, and requirements will be superseded by the commission’s final rules and regulations.

     (g) Upon final issuance of the commission’s rules and regulations, the following shall

occur:

     (1) All powers, duties, and responsibilities of the department of business regulation and the

office of cannabis regulation with respect to the regulation, administration, and enforcement of the

provisions of chapter 28.6 of this title and chapter 26 of title 2 shall be transferred to the commission

or as designated by the commission to the cannabis office.

     (2) All powers, duties, and responsibilities of the department of environmental

management with respect to regulation, administration, and enforcement of chapter 28.6 of this title

shall be transferred to the commission or as designated by the commission to the cannabis office.

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     (3) All powers, duties, and responsibilities of the department of health with respect to

regulation, administration, and enforcement of chapter 28.6 of this title shall be transferred to the

commission or as designated by the commission to the cannabis office, except for the following:

     (i) Administration of registry identification cards to qualified patients; and

     (ii) Powers delegated to the department pursuant to this chapter or by rules and regulations

of the commission.

     (4) There shall be established a “cannabis office” with the powers, duties, and

responsibilities authorized pursuant to § 21-28.11-18.1.

     (5) All powers exercised by state agencies, departments, and offices pursuant to the

provisions of subsections (a) and (b) of this section relating to transitional period authority shall

cease.

     (h) Upon final issuance of the commission’s rules and regulations, whenever the term

“office of cannabis regulation” appears in any general law or regulation, the term shall mean the

“cannabis office” as defined in this chapter.

     21-28.11-5. Powers and duties of the commission.

     (a) Subject to the state code of ethics and any internal ethics code adopted by the

commission, the commission shall have all the powers necessary and reasonable to carry out and

effectuate its purposes, including, but not limited to, the power to:

     (1) Adopt, amend or repeal rules and regulations for the implementation, administration

and enforcement of this chapter;

     (2) Determine which applicants shall be awarded licenses;

     (3) Deny an application or limit, condition, restrict, revoke or suspend any license;

     (4) Determine and establish the process and methodology by which licenses shall be

awarded by the commission;

     (5) Require an applicant for licensure under this chapter to apply for such licensure and

approve or disapprove any such application or other transactions, events and processes as provided

in this chapter;

     (6) Establish a registration process;

     (7) Execute all instruments necessary and appropriate, in the commission’s discretion, to

fulfill the purposes of this chapter;

     (8) Enter into agreements or other transactions with a person, including, but not limited to,

a public entity or other governmental instrumentality or authority in connection with its powers and

duties under this chapter;

     (9) Appear on its own behalf before boards, commissions, departments or other agencies

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of municipal, state or federal government;

     (10) Apply for and accept subventions, grants, loans, advances and contributions of money,

property, labor or other things of value from any source, to be held, used and applied for its purposes

subject to appropriation by the general assembly;

     (11) Subject to appropriation by the general assembly, provide and pay for advisory

services and technical and other assistance including the hiring of appropriate support staff

personnel as may be necessary in its judgment to carry out the purpose and intent of this chapter,

and subject to applicable law, fix the compensation of persons providing such services or

assistance;

     (12) Prepare, publish and distribute, with or without charge as the commission may

determine, such studies, reports, bulletins and other materials as required by the provisions of this

chapter or other applicable law or as the commission considers appropriate;

     (13) Review data and market conditions on an annual basis to determine and recommend

the maximum number of licenses that shall be issued to meet the production demands to implement

the provisions of this chapter subject to enactment by the general assembly;

     (14) Conduct and administer procedures and hearings in compliance with chapter 35 of

title 42 (the “administrative procedures act”) for adoption of rules or regulations, issuance, denial

or revocation of licenses or permits; or for violation of the provisions of this chapter or the rules

and regulations adopted pursuant to the provisions of this chapter;

     (15) Gather facts and information and take action applicable to the commission’s

obligations pursuant to this chapter relating to:

     (i) Any violation of this chapter or any rule or regulation adopted by the commission; and

     (ii) Any willful violation of an order of the commission directed to a licensee or a person

required to be registered;

     (iii) The conviction of a criminal offense, for the purpose of determining whether said

conviction substantially relates to the occupation or activity to which the license or registration

applies;

     (iv) Any other action or conduct which would disqualify a licensee from holding a license

pursuant to the provisions of this chapter;

     (16) In connection with matters having to do with the discharge of the duties of the

commission pursuant to this chapter, the chairperson of the commission, in cases pending before

the commission, is hereby authorized and empowered to summon witnesses to attend and testify in

a like manner as in either the supreme or superior courts. The commission is authorized to compel

the production of all papers, books, documents, records, certificates, or other legal evidence that

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may be necessary for the determination and the decision of any question or the discharge of any

duty required by law of the commission, by issuing a subpoena duces tecum signed by the

chairperson. Any person who shall willfully swear falsely in any proceedings, matter, or hearing

before the commission shall be subject to the law pertaining to the crime of perjury. Any person

who disobeys may be referred by the chairperson of the commission to the presiding justice of the

superior court for assignment of a hearing on civil contempt citation and/or to the attorney general

for criminal contempt prosecution;

     (17) Conduct investigations into the qualifications of all applicants for employment by the

commission, the cannabis office and all applicants for licensure pursuant to the provisions of this

chapter;

     (18) Receive from the state police, the department of attorney general or other criminal

justice agencies, including, but not limited to, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal

Revenue Service, such criminal record information relating to criminal and background

investigations as necessary for the purpose of evaluating licensees, applicants for licenses,

laboratory agents, and any other employee or agent of a cannabis establishment, as determined by

the commission or otherwise required by law;

     (19) Be present, through its designated inspectors and agents, at any reasonable time, in

cannabis establishments for the purposes of exercising its powers and duties;

     (20) Inspect cannabis establishments and have access to all equipment and supplies in a

cannabis establishment for the purpose of ensuring and enforcing compliance with this chapter,

chapter 28.6 of this title, and all rules and regulations promulgated pursuant to this chapter and

chapter 28.6 of this title;

     (21) In accordance with all applicable law, coordinate with the state police to seize,

impound and remove from the premises of a cannabis establishment any cannabis, equipment,

supplies, documents and records obtained or possessed in violation of this chapter, chapter 28.6 of

this title, or the rules and regulations of the commission;

     (22) Require that the books and financial or other records or statements of a licensee be

kept in a manner that the commission deems proper;

     (23) For cause, demand access to and inspect all papers, books and records of close

associates of a licensee whom the commission reasonably suspects is involved in the financing,

operation or management of the licensee; provided, however, that the inspection, examination,

photocopying and audit may take place on the affiliate’s premises or elsewhere as practicable and

in the presence of the affiliate or its agent;

     (24) Impose and collect fees, sanctions and administrative penalties, as authorized by this

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chapter and established by regulation, and for a violation of any rule or regulation promulgated by

the commission except as of December 1, 2022, no fee shall be authorized or imposed for registry

identification cards or for plant tags;

     (25) Establish adjudicatory procedures and conduct adjudicatory proceedings pursuant to

the provisions of chapter 35 of title 42 (the “administrative procedures act”);

     (26) Refer cases for criminal prosecution to the appropriate federal, state or local

authorities;

     (27) Maintain an official Internet website for the commission that, in the discretion of the

commission, may be in coordination with the cannabis office;

     (28) Submit any matter to the advisory board for study, review or recommendation;

     (29) Request and/or approve or disapprove recommendations by the cannabis advisory

board made pursuant to § 21-28.11-6 to include, but not be limited to, distribution of funds from

the social equity assistance fund established pursuant to § 21-28.11-31;

     (30) Monitor any federal activity regarding cannabis;

     (31) Delegate any administrative, procedural or operational matter to the cannabis office;

     (32) Issue temporary emergency orders, directives or instructions, with or without prior

notice or hearing, in an instance in which the public health or safety is in substantial or imminent

danger as it relates to the activities, conduct or practices of a licensee or as a result of a defective

or dangerous product offered for sale by a licensee. If a temporary emergency order, directive or

instruction without notice or a hearing is issued by the commission then the order, directive or

instruction shall expire after ten (10) days unless a hearing is noticed by the commission within the

ten (10) day period, and the hearing is scheduled to be conducted within twenty (20) days of the

issuance of the order, directive or instruction;

     (33) Amend forms, procedures and requirements adopted by the office of cannabis

regulation pursuant to § 21-28.11-10.1 related to the temporary regulation of cultivation,

manufacture and sale of cannabis for adult use by hybrid cannabis retailers during the transitional

period established by § 21-28.11-10.1; and

     (34) Provide recommendations to the general assembly regarding any advisable or

proposed amendments to chapter 26 of title 2 relative to the regulation of industrial hemp and the

use of hemp as a commercial product.

     (b) The commission shall, pursuant to subsection (a) of this section, adopt rules and

regulations consistent with this chapter for the administration, clarification and enforcement of

provisions regulating and licensing cannabis establishments and the sale, possession and use of

cannabis. The rules and regulations shall include, but not be limited to:

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     (1) Methods and forms of application which an applicant for a license shall follow and

complete before consideration by the commission;

     (2) Requirements for the information to be furnished by an applicant or licensee;

     (3) Criteria for evaluation of the application for a license;

     (4) Qualifications for licensure and minimum standards for employment that are directly

and demonstrably related to the operation of a cannabis establishment and similar to qualifications

for licensure and employment standards in connection with the manufacture, distribution or sale of

alcoholic beverages as regulated under title 3 of the general laws; provided, that a criminal

conviction relating solely to the possession of marijuana or cannabis shall not automatically

disqualify an individual from eligibility for employment or licensure in connection with a cannabis

establishment pursuant to § 21-28.11-12.1;

     (5) In consultation with the cannabis advisory board, identification of factors to be

evaluated in the approval and certification of social equity applicants and establishment of

procedures and policies to promote and encourage full participation in the regulated cannabis

industry by people from communities that have previously been disproportionately harmed by

cannabis prohibition and enforcement;

     (6) In accordance with all applicable law, standards for the payment or reporting of

licensure fees and taxes;

     (7) Requirements for the information to be furnished by a licensee to the licensee’s

employees;

     (8) Requirements for fingerprinting or other method of identification of an applicant for a

license or a licensee and the employees of licensees;

     (9) Procedures and grounds for the revocation or suspension of a license or registration;

     (10) Minimum uniform standards of accounting procedures;

     (11) Requirements for record keeping by cannabis establishments and procedures to track

cannabis cultivated, processed, manufactured, delivered or sold by cannabis establishments;

     (12) Minimum standards for the requirement that all licensees possess and operate an

interoperable publicly available application programming interface seed-to-sale tracking system

sufficient to ensure the appropriate track and trace of all cannabis cultivated, processed or

manufactured pursuant to this chapter;

     (13) Standards and procedures to leverage seed-to-sale tracking technology which may

allow for the appropriate transfer or acquisition of cannabis seeds, clones, cuttings, plants or plant

tissue between medical and nonmedical establishments;

     (14) Registration requirements for employees of cannabis establishments including

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ensuring that employees be properly trained in the performance of their duties as necessary;

     (15) Minimum security requirements for licensees sufficient to deter and prevent theft and

unauthorized entrance into areas containing cannabis, which may include, but not be limited to, the

use of security personnel, security cameras, or alarms;

     (16) Minimum standards for liability insurance coverage;

     (17) Requirements and procedures, utilizing best practices, to prevent the sale, delivery or

transfer of cannabis to persons under twenty-one (21) years of age, or the purchase of cannabis on

behalf of a person under twenty-one (21) years of age to include, but not limited to, the

establishment of age verification procedures;

     (18) Health and safety standards, established in consultation with the department of health,

for the cultivation, processing, manufacturing and distribution of cannabis, including standards

regarding sanitation for the preparation, storage, handling and sale of food products, including

compliance with state sanitation requirements, and health inspections; provided, however, that the

authority to promulgate regulations pertaining to the use of pesticides shall remain with the

department of environmental management pursuant to the provisions of chapter 25 of title 23;

     (19) Requirements for the packaging and labeling of cannabis and cannabis products that

shall, at a minimum:

     (i) Require the most current consumer product safety commission standards, set forth in 16

C.F.R. 1700 et seq.; and

     (ii) Protect children from accidently ingesting cannabis or cannabis products, including by

making packaging certified child-resistant and resealable;

     (20) Requirements and restrictions for advertising, marketing and branding of cannabis and

cannabis products; provided that, no advertisements for the advertising of cannabis and cannabis

products on any medium including, but not limited to, social media, Internet search engines, online

advertisements, email marketing, audio/video streaming services, television, radio, newspapers,

magazines, direct mail, and billboards, that may be visible to minors.

     (21) Requirements for the safe disposal of excess, contaminated, adulterated or deteriorated

cannabis, which shall consider policies which promote the reasonable remediation and/or recycling

of such waste, including, but not limited to, recycled industrial products;

     (22) Procedures and requirements to enable the transfer of a license for a cannabis

establishment to another qualified person or to another suitable location in compliance with the

provisions of § 21-28.11-10.2 following notification and approval by the commission; provided

however, that a license issued to a social equity applicant shall only be transferred to another

qualified social equity applicant, and a license issued to a workers’ cooperative applicant shall only

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be transferred to another qualified workers’ cooperative applicant;

     (23) Requirements to establish a process allowing the commission to order a prohibition

on the sale of a cannabis product found especially appealing to persons under twenty-one (21) years

of age including a means for allowing a cannabis product manufacturer to voluntarily submit a

product, its packaging and intended marketing to the commission for preliminary determination

whether the product is especially appealing to persons under twenty-one (21) years of age;

     (24) Requirements that may prohibit cannabis product manufacturers from altering or

utilizing commercially-manufactured food products when manufacturing cannabis products unless

the food product was commercially manufactured specifically for use by the cannabis product

manufacturer to infuse with cannabis;

     (25) Energy and environmental standards for licensure and licensure renewal of cannabis

establishments licensed as a cannabis cultivator or cannabis product manufacturer;

     (26) If determined necessary to protect or promote public health and safety, the commission

may establish reasonable limits for cannabis product potency and/or dosing; provided that, in the

interest of maintaining a stable cannabis market, before imposing such limits, the commission shall

give due consideration to the limits on potency and/or dosing imposed by neighboring states;

     (27) The testing and safety of cannabis and cannabis products, including but not limited to,

regulations promulgated by the commission in consultation with the department of health, as

applicable which:

     (i) License and regulate the operation of cannabis laboratory testing facilities, including

requirements for equipment, training, and qualifications for personnel;

     (ii) Set forth procedures that require random sample testing to ensure quality control,

including, but not limited to, ensuring that cannabis and cannabis products are accurately labeled

for tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content and any other product profile;

     (iii) Establish testing for residual solvents or toxins; harmful chemicals; dangerous molds

or mildew; filth; and harmful microbials such as E. coli or salmonella and pesticides, and any other

compounds, elements, or contaminants;

     (iv) Require that all cannabis and cannabis products must undergo random sample testing

at a licensed cannabis testing facility or other laboratory equipped to test cannabis and cannabis

products that have been approved by the commission;

     (v) Require any products which fail testing be quarantined and/or recalled and destroyed

in accordance with regulations;

     (vi) Allow for the establishment of other quality assurance mechanisms which may include

but not be limited to, the designation or creation of a reference laboratory, creation of a secret

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shopper program, round robin testing, or any other mechanism to ensure the accuracy of product

testing and labeling;

     (vii) Require cannabis establishment licensees and cannabis products to comply with any

applicable food safety requirements determined by the commission and/or the department of health;

     (viii) Include any additional requirements deemed necessary by the commission as

determined in consultation with the department of health; and

     (ix) Allow the commission, in coordination with the department of health, at their

discretion, to temporarily remove, or phase in, any requirement for laboratory testing if it finds that

there is not sufficient laboratory capacity for the market;

     (28) Standards and restrictions for cannabis manufacturing and processing which shall

include, but not be limited to, requirements that cannabis processors:

     (i) Comply with all applicable building and fire codes;

     (ii) Receive approval from the state fire marshal’s office for all forms of manufacturing

that use a heat source or flammable solvent;

     (iii) Require any cannabis processor that manufactures edibles of cannabis infused food

products to comply with all applicable requirements and regulations and obtain a food business

license as defined by § 21-27-1 issued by the department of health’s office of food safety; and

     (iv) Comply with any other requirements deemed suitable by the commission;

     (29) Standards for manufacturing or extracting cannabinoid oils or butane hash oil;

     (30) General operating requirements, minimum oversight, and any other activities,

functions, or aspects of a cannabis establishment licensee in furtherance of creating a stable,

regulated cannabis industry and mitigating its impact on public health and safety;

     (31) Rules and regulations based on federal law, provided such rules and regulations are

designed to comply with federal guidance and mitigate federal enforcement against the cannabis

establishments and adult use establishments authorized, licensed and operated pursuant to this

chapter;

     (32) Coordinate and implement the transition and transfer of regulatory authority of

medical marijuana from the department of business regulation to the commission; and

     (33) Requirements that, after March 1, 2023, according to a timeline determined by the

commission, patients with out-of-state medical marijuana cards must also possess and produce a

valid government issued identification demonstrating residency in the same state jurisdiction that

issued the medical marijuana card.

     (c) Regulations made pursuant to this section shall not:

     (1) Except to protect public health and safety, prohibit the operation of a cannabis

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establishment either expressly or through regulations that make operation of a cannabis

establishment unreasonable and impracticable;

     (2) Require an adult retail purchaser to provide a cannabis retailer with identifying

information other than proper identification to determine the customer’s age, and shall not require

the cannabis retailer to acquire or record personal information about customers other than

information typically required in a retail transaction;

     (3) Except as provided pursuant to chapter 28.6 of this title, authorize a cannabis retailer,

medical marijuana treatment center or a hybrid cannabis retailer to operate at a shared location with

a cultivator;

     (4) Authorize a cannabis establishment to transfer or acquire cannabis seeds, clones,

cuttings, plants or plant tissue to or from another cannabis establishment unless notice of the

transfer or acquisition is provided to the commission; or

     (5) Prohibit cannabis establishments from using inorganic cultivation methods.

     (d) Reports. In furtherance of the intent of this chapter:

     (1) The commission shall annually submit a complete and detailed report of the

commission’s activities, including a review of the implementation and enforcement of this chapter

and the governance structure established in this chapter, not more than ninety (90) days after the

end of the fiscal year to the governor, the attorney general, the treasurer, the speaker of the house,

and the president of the senate.

     (2) The commission shall annually review the tax rates established by this chapter and may

make recommendations to the general assembly, as appropriate, regarding any changes to the tax

rates that further the intent of this chapter.

     (3) Each fiscal year the commission shall submit an annual finance plan to the governor,

the speaker of the house and the president of the senate, and updates to such plan.

     (4) The commission may study cannabis commerce and make recommendations to the

general assembly regarding changes to existing law that further the intent of this chapter by

reporting those recommendations to the governor, the speaker of the house, and the president of

the senate.

     (5) The commission may conduct an analysis and report to the general assembly if it finds

that conditions are appropriate for the issuance of additional types or classes of licenses to operate

cannabis-related businesses, including, but not limited to:

     (i) Licenses that authorize limited or restricted cultivation, processing, manufacture,

possession or storage of cannabis or cannabis products, limited delivery of cannabis or cannabis

products to consumers;

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     (ii) Licenses that authorize the consumption of cannabis or cannabis products on the

premises where sold;

     (iii) Licenses that authorize the consumption of cannabis at special events in limited areas

and for a limited time; and

     (iv) Licenses intended to facilitate scientific research or education.

     (e) The commission shall administer and enforce the provisions of this chapter and the rules

and regulations relating to licensing in this chapter and in its discretion and where appropriate may

delegate and authorize various administration and enforcement powers and duties to the cannabis

office.

     (f) The commission may investigate, in conjunction with the department of health, the

effects of cannabis and cannabis products with a high potency of tetrahydrocannabinol on human

health and consider restrictions on the potency of tetrahydrocannabinol in cannabis and cannabis

products that are necessary for protection of public health or safety in accordance with the

provisions of subsection (b)(26) of this section.

     (g) The commission shall be subject to all the provisions of chapter 35 of title 42.

     (h) The commission shall cause to be deposited all fees and monetary penalties collected

pursuant to this chapter in the social equity assistance fund established pursuant to § 21-28.11-31,

excluding medical compassion center license fees pursuant to § 21-28.6-12, tax penalties and any

funds designated to be deposited in the marijuana trust fund pursuant to § 21-28.11-13(d).

     (i) The commission shall work collaboratively with other state agencies and departments

to ensure that the production and distribution of cannabis is effectively regulated in the state in

furtherance of this chapter.

     SECTION 3. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO FOOD AND DRUGS -- THE RHODE ISLAND CANNABIS ACT

***

     This act would ban advertising of cannabis and cannabis products on any medium that may

be visible to minors.

     This act would take effect upon passage.

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