Rhode Island Bill Would Double Medical Marijuana Dispensaries

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — The filing this week of legislation to double the number of medical-marijuana dispensaries in Rhode Island has set the stage for battle between those who currently have a monopoly on Rhode Island's lucrative marijuana business and those who want in.

Within 24-hours of the bill filings, the scramble had begun. Lobbyists registered. House Speaker Nicholas Mattiello, while again describing himself as "neutral" on legalizing marijuana, said: "We'll try to get a read of what the public's desire is."

Referendum? "That's a potential," Mattiello said.

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