Rhode Island Gets First Whiff Of Recreational Marijuana

PROVIDENCE, RI — Recreational marijuana has arrived in Rhode Island, with the first five dispensaries opening for business Thursday in the Ocean State.

Dispensaries opened in Central Falls, Providence, Pawtucket, Portsmouth and Warwick on Thursday morning.

RISE in Warwick even held a ribbon cutting ceremony, with live music and treats, to celebrate its first recreational sales at 6 a.m. And by the afternoon, there was still plenty of foot traffic inside the dispensary, as customers purchased an array of flower, edibles, THC concentrates and more cannabis products.

At the Thomas C. Slater Center in Providence, customers were allowed to order ahead of time and pick up their purchases through a drive-thru. Slater Center spokesman Chris Reilly said the drive-thru helped manage the large crowds the business anticipated. He also credited an experienced staff, that's been handling medical cannabis patients for a long time.

Upon arrival Thursday morning, there were no long lines forcing customers to wait in the cold, unlike the rainy November day when Massachusetts first opened recreational cannabis dispensaries in 2018.

"We've been open nearly 10 years as a medical provider," Reilly told Patch. "This is nothing new for a reason. Also, when Massachusetts stores opened, there was sort of a novelty around it and a rush."

Reilly said the transition from being just a medical dispensary was years in the making. He said the people working for the Slater Center are passionate about how their products help patients, and advocated for years to make recreational cannabis legal in the Ocean State.

"We always felt it was wrong people were being arrested and prosecuted for possession of small amounts," Reilly said. "Today is a celebration of a lot of hard work."

If you're buying, remember, like alcohol, it's still illegal to drive a motor vehicle under the influence of marijuana.

Here are some other rules to keep in mind before trying to buy and use legal pot.

The Rhode Island Cannabis Act allows state residents 21 and older to possess up to 1 ounce of cannabis and keep no more than 10 ounces in their homes.

Customers must have legal photo identification to purchase cannabis at recreational dispensaries.

Can I grow my own marijuana?

Rhode Island residents are allowed to grow cannabis at their own homes. Residents are allowed to grow up to six plants, but just three of them can be mature. Violating this rule still carries stiff penalties.
Cultivation between an ounce and a kilogram is a felony and carries a potential 30-year prison sentence.

Also read: RI Recreational Marijuana Sales Start Thursday: Stores, Rules, More