Rhode Island Lawmakers Rewrite Medical Cannabis Bill in Wake of Governor’s Lawsuit

Rhode Island lawmakers have rewritten a medical cannabis bill that awarded themselves the power to veto medical cannabis regulations, and that in turn caused Gov. Gina Raimondo to sue the legislature.

In the state’s budget last year, lawmakers authorized six additional medical cannabis dispensaries (called “compassion centers”) in the state but mandated that all new cannabis regulations be approved by the General Assembly. Raimondo objected to the latter provision.

New legislation was introduced Jan. 8, according to a local NBC 10 News report. Under the revised bill, the six new compassion centers will not be confined to six separate geographical zones as originally planned, and will have no limit on the amount of cannabis they can grow—and lawmakers no longer have the right to veto regulations.

The governor’s lawsuit has not yet been dropped, but will likely be declared moot by the court, NBC 10 News reported.