Nearly two years after its formation, Rhode Island's three-member Cannabis Control Commission only needed 18 minutes Friday to approve an inaugural set of rules that will govern the state's budding cannabis market.
Regulations will take effect May 1, putting the state another step closer to issuing licenses for two dozen new retail pot shops and making the Office of Cannabis Regulation become its own independent entity.
The new rules establish new packaging and labeling requirements, outline how licenses will be awarded, and set the criteria to apply for one of the six social equity retail licenses.
Commission Chairperson Kimberly Ahern acknowledged the long road to finalize the new rules but said it was crucial to balance industry growth with safety. All the work drafting the regulations was done in-house, rather than relying on an out-of-state contractor, she added.
Read more at Marijuana Moment