About Regulate RI
Founded in 2013, Regulate RI is a statewide coalition of citizens, advocates, and organizations united by a single conviction: that marijuana prohibition was a costly, ineffective, and fundamentally unjust policy — and that Rhode Island deserved a smarter approach.
In 2022, after nearly a decade of sustained advocacy, we proved it.
Our Mission
We believed that regulating and taxing marijuana like alcohol would be better for public safety, better for Rhode Island’s economy, and better for the communities that had borne the disproportionate burden of prohibition enforcement. Our mission was to build the grassroots support, legislative relationships, and public education infrastructure needed to make that change a reality.
That mission is accomplished. Rhode Island’s cannabis market is now licensed, regulated, and taxed. Tens of thousands of past convictions have been expunged. The communities that suffered most under prohibition have dedicated licensing pathways in the new legal industry.
Today, our mission continues in a new form: holding the system accountable, supporting equitable implementation, and ensuring that every promise made when this law was passed is a promise kept.
How We Won
The road was long. Bills to legalize marijuana were introduced in the Rhode Island General Assembly every year from 2011 onward — and every year, they were held for further study with no action taken. Lesser coalitions would have walked away.
We didn’t.
Regulate RI kept organizing. We recruited hundreds of volunteer advocates from every corner of the state. We built relationships with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. We partnered with the Marijuana Policy Project — one of the nation’s most respected cannabis reform organizations — to bring national expertise, research, and resources to our local fight. We educated the public, testified at hearings, held community events, and made the case year after year that the evidence was on our side.
By 2017, polls showed 59% of Rhode Islanders supported full legalization. Momentum built. Neighboring states moved forward. And on May 25, 2022, Governor Dan McKee signed the Rhode Island Cannabis Act into law — making Rhode Island the 19th state in the nation to legalize, regulate, and tax adult-use cannabis.
It happened because Rhode Islanders showed up. Year after year. Until the law changed.
What We Achieved
The Rhode Island Cannabis Act delivered on everything we fought for:
- End of prohibition — possession, home cultivation, and adult use are now fully legal for Rhode Islanders 21 and older
- A regulated marketplace — licensed retailers, tested products, and strict oversight of cultivation, distribution, and sales
- Fair taxation — a 20% tax structure generating millions in annual public revenue directed back to Rhode Island communities
- Consumer safety standards — adults now have access to tested, accurately labeled products instead of an unregulated black market
- Youth protection — mandatory age verification, marketing restrictions, and real enforcement consequences
- Automatic expungement — past marijuana possession convictions cleared without requiring individuals to petition the courts
- Social equity provisions — reserved licenses and reduced fees for applicants from communities disproportionately harmed by prohibition
Who We Are
Regulate RI has always been powered by people. Hundreds of volunteer advocates from across the state — students, parents, healthcare workers, business owners, veterans, and retirees — gave their time and energy to this cause because they saw firsthand how prohibition was failing their communities. Dozens of member organizations, spanning civil liberties, public health, criminal justice reform, and economic development, stood alongside us throughout this fight.
We were never a fringe movement. We were Rhode Island residents who believed in evidence-based policy, personal freedom, and responsible governance. That identity hasn’t changed. Neither has our commitment to the state we fought for.
Our Approach — Then and Now
From the beginning, we understood that change of this magnitude required more than petitions and rallies. It required sustained, credible engagement at every level — with lawmakers, community leaders, media, and the general public. We educated. We organized. We advocated. And we did it with rigorous attention to the facts, because the data was always on our side.
That approach hasn’t changed. The target has.
Where we once focused on passing the law, we now focus on its implementation. We monitor expungement progress. We advocate for social equity provisions to be honored in practice, not just on paper. We track regulatory developments through the Cannabis Control Commission. And we continue to serve as a resource for Rhode Islanders navigating the post-prohibition landscape.
Why It Still Matters
Prohibition’s end was a milestone — not a finish line. The communities that bore the heaviest burden of enforcement for decades deserve to see every commitment of the Cannabis Act fully delivered. Expungements must be processed. Equity licenses must reach the applicants they were designed for. Consumer protections must be enforced. Youth safeguards must be maintained.
Regulate RI remains here — as a watchdog, a resource, and a voice for the Rhode Islanders who made this change possible and deserve to see it done right.
Get Involved
The advocacy chapter may be closed, but the work of implementation is very much alive. Whether you’re a longtime supporter, a cannabis industry participant, a patient, a researcher, or simply a Rhode Islander who wants to stay informed — there’s a place for you in this community.
See Where We Are Now →
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Why Regulation →
Regulate RI — A volunteer-driven coalition that fought to end marijuana prohibition in Rhode Island through education, advocacy, and grassroots organizing. Founded in 2013. Victory in 2022. Holding the line ever since.