The Greenleaf Compassion Center in Portsmouth. It is the closest establishment to Jamestown that has a license to sell recreational marijuana.
Although the ability to license commercial cannabis operations in Jamestown was denied by 52.6 percent of the electorate, 1,620 to 1,462, five compassion centers in Rhode Island have begun legally selling recreational marijuana.
“This milestone is the result of a carefully executed process to ensure that our state’s entry into this emerging market was done in a safe, controlled and equitable manner,” Gov. Dan McKee said. “It is also a win for our statewide economy.”
These hybrid shops, which allow the sale of both medical and recreational marijuana, include the Greenleaf Compassionate Care Center in Portsmouth, which is about 8 miles from the western approach of the Newport Pell Bridge. The applications of Aura of Rhode Island in Central Falls, Thomas C. Slater Center in Providence, Mother Earth Wellness in Pawtucket and RISE Warwick also were approved.
Like alcohol, the minimum age to purchase marijuana in Rhode Island is 21. Although possessing up to 1 ounce of marijuana is legal in Jamestown, smoking in public is prohibited. That includes smoking in motor vehicles.
Legislation to legalize marijuana was signed into law by McKee in May. Matt Santacroce, interim deputy director of the Rhode Island Department of Business Regulation, said the six-month turnover from passage to launch marks the fastest implementation in the Northeast. He said his agency is prepared to “ensure this critical economic sector scales in compliance with the rules and regulations” put forward by regulators.
