Democratic Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo has taken a cautious approach to the idea of legalizing marijuana over the last several years, but the end of prohibition in neighboring states might effectively peer-pressure the Ocean State into joining in, she indicated in a new interview.
“Given my druthers, if I could make all of these decisions in a vacuum, I’ve been favoring a wait-and-see approach,” she told the Providence Journal. “However, Connecticut is going to do it. The new governor-elect has been crystal clear, this is a priority. It’s happening. Massachusetts is already doing it. We’re a tiny state in between these two other states.”
Democratic Connecticut Gov.-elect Ned Lamont said shortly after his Nov. 6, 2018, election victory that ending cannabis prohibition is “going to be one of the priorities” in the state’s upcoming legislative session. “It’s something I would support, and I don’t want the black market controlling marijuana distribution in our state,” he said.
Legal recreational cannabis sales began in November 2018 in Massachusetts, where voters approved a legalization ballot measure in 2016.
During a debate in November 2018 prior to her re-election as governor, Raimondo said that she is “open to” legalization but is “cautious” about it, expressing concern that it is “hard to regulate so it doesn’t get into the hands of kids.”
But now, the Rhode Island governor seems to be suggesting that the state could face consequences and costs if it doesn’t move along with its neighbors to legalize marijuana and collect tax revenue from sales.
“If you look at states next door to Colorado … they spend a lot of money on the externalities,” Raimondo said in the Providence Journal interview. “Like, if we think that there is not going to be Rhode Islanders crossing the border into Seekonk or, you know, Putnam, Connecticut, we are crazy.”
This article has been republished from Marijuana Moment under a content syndication agreement. Read the original article here.
