First Town In RI Schedules Marijuana Referendum

BARRINGTON, RI — With recreational marijuana now legal in Rhode Island, Barrington residents will soon get to decide if they want dispensaries in town.

In May, Gov. Dan McKee signed a bill, allowing people 21 and older to possess, use and grow cannabis for recreational purposes. It also expunged prior marijuana convictions and allows for retail stores to open in December.

Rhode Island cities and towns that don't already have a medical cannabis dispensary have the ability to ban the sale of cannabis by voter referendum this fall. Barrington is the first town in the state to do so, after the Town Council authorized the vote.

"The Town Council believes that the electors of the Town of Barrington should be permitted to determine whether cannabis licenses shall be issued in the town," said Barrington Town Council President Michael Carroll in the resolution authorizing the referendum.

The referendum question will be part of the election on Nov. 8 and will ask: "Shall new cannabis licenses for businesses involved in the cultivation, manufacture, laboratory testing and for the retail sale of adult recreational use cannabis be issued in the Town of Barrington?"