After months of debate between legislators, Rhode Island governor Dan Mckee announced a budget plan to legalize adult-use cannabis and provide an automatic expunction process for cannabis-related charges in the state.
Under the proposed plan, Rhode Islanders 21 and older will be able to purchase and possess up to an ounce of cannabis. The plan also allows legible adults to keep up to five ounces of cannabis in secured storage in their primary residence, as long as they don’t plan to grow it themselves. Home-grown cannabis remains illegal in the state, as the marijuana market rakes in millions of dollars that, if allocated correctly, could significantly improve the state’s economy. Gov. Mckee’s marijuana tax proposal is summarized below:
“The governor recommends creating a strictly regulated legal market for adult-use cannabis in the state…this proposal would create a weight-based excise tax on marijuana cultivation, an additional retail excise tax of 10 percent, and also apply sales tax to cannabis transactions.”
Although the plan compartmentalizes marijuana legalization into monetary benefits, legalization will lead to far more wins in other realms of society, including health benefits, a large reduction of cannabis-related convictions in the state, and it will decrease the risk of law enforcement disproportionately incarcerating Rhode Islanders living in Black and Brown communities. Another important aspect of McKee’s proposed budget is the plan to automatically expunge cannabis-related charges from an individual’s criminal record. Not only would this open up a new world of opportunities for deserving Rhode Islanders, shifting qualifications based on background history to a person’s skill set would also allow for a greater talent pool in the workforce, ultimately improving work quality within the state. Rep. Karen Alzate (D) defends Rhode Island’s plead for legalization in a recent statement:
“We can’t reverse the harm of the war on drugs, but we can start to repair it by passing automatic expungement and waiving all related fines, fees and court debt…this bold legalization plan offers us the chance to turn a new leaf for the Ocean State, and it’s time we take it.”
If a previous conviction is holding you back from a world of opportunities, it’s time to put the power back into your own hands. Easy Expunctions offers a lawyer-free record-clearing process at an affordable price… because we believe you deserve a second chance. Visit our website at EasyExpunctions.com or give us a call at (866) 775-9983 to learn more about our expunction packages.