Cannabis License Residency (H 7410, S 2497)

This legislation would amend the state's cannabis licensing laws to eliminate the requirement that applicants for licenses, including social equity licenses, be residents of Rhode Island in order to qualify. We appreciate the efforts of the original drafters of this legislation to focus on the needs of Rhode Islanders, particularly in the context of social equity licenses, which are designed to help individuals who fell victim over the years to the state's unfair drug criminalization statutes. However, at the same time, we believe that it would be a step backwards for a court, after finding the residency requirement unconstitutional, to strike the entire social equity program from the law rather than open it up to non-residents.