We’re months away from recreational marijuana sales in Rhode Island, but are pot shops ready?

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — As of now, none of Rhode Island’s marijuana shops are 100% ready to go for recreational sale on Dec. 1. However, many are very close.

A total of nine locations are just steps away from hybrid licenses allowing for sale of both medicinal and recreational pot.

Three of them are pre-existing compassionate centers selling only medicinal, while the six others will open for the first time in Rhode Island as hybrid locations.

One of them is Solar Cannabis Co., which already has a hybrid location in Somerset.

The company’s CEO Edward Dow said they are going through the final paperwork for their hybrid license and that he isn’t surprised about the duration of the process.

“Going into Adult use it doesn’t happen overnight, it’s pretty typical,” Dow said.

A transition, he said, is similar to one he made a few years ago, when adult marijuana sales were legalized in Massachusetts.

“I think it’s the same thing we went from a medical agency to the CCC, or cannabis control commission in Mass and I think it’ll be a similar period here in Rhode Island,” Dow said.

With less than two months out from Dec. 1, Rhode Island’s cannabis commission has yet to be appointed by Gov. Dan McKee.

Until that happens, recreational only location will not be able to open.

State Rep. Scott Slater, a Democrat representing District 10 in Providence, explained why Rhode Island may not see a commission until after the new year.

“Any appointments that are made would still have to wait for the senate to come back and provide advice and consent. I’m not sure that’ll happen until January, when we reconvene as a legislature,” Slater said.

Slater predicts it will be around a year till recreational only locations are open.

Categories: News, Rhode Island