The act puts a strong focus on social equity and worker owned cooperatives, and I’m eagerly awaiting to start on these aspects.
By Christopher Shea of Rhode Island Current
Rhode Island Governor. The long-awaited selections of Dan McKee (D) to the Cannabis Control Commission have all stated that they intend to give priority to social equity applicants seeking to participate in the growing recreational marijuana market.
The Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously approved McKee’s selections, former State Rep. Robert Jacquard(D), Kimberly Ahern, and personal injury attorney LayiOduyingbo on Tuesday. Dawn Euer, a Newport Democrat and the chair of the Committee, has said that nominees are likely to be put up for a vote on a Senate floor early next week.
The Cannabis Control Commission will have three members who will serve staggered terms to oversee the regulation and licensing of medical and recreational marijuana in the State. The Rhode Island Cannabis Act that legalized recreational marijuana use last year required the governor to make his selections within forty days after the bill became law, which was July 4, 2020. McKee did not submit his selections until May 17, this year.
Before the Judiciary Committee approved the commissioners, activists stressed the importance of focusing on issues of equity and economics.
Andre Dev is a founder member of PVD flowers cooperative. He said that he observed barriers to entry for people of color and working class Rhode Islanders into the budding marijuana market in Rhode Island.
According to the state’s marijuana law, “social equity” applicants are those who have “been disproportionately affected by criminal enforcement of cannabis laws, including individuals who were convicted of a nonviolent offense, immediate family of individuals who were convicted, and individuals who resided in areas disproportionately affected for at least five years.”
According to a report by the American Civil Liberties Union Rhode Island Chapter, Black people in the state were 3.3x more likely to have been arrested for cannabis-related offenses. Dev explained that many equity applicants might have difficulty setting up their business quickly because of this.
He said that opening a cannabis dispensary or any small business requires a lot of unpaid labor. “That will always favor those with money and privilege.”
Ahern is McKee’s current deputy chief of staff. She was also deputy counsel to former Governor. Gina Raimondo, a Democrat, spent nine years as a special assistant in the Rhode Island Office for the Attorney General.
Ahern stated that her background in criminal justice policy will help her to be more aware of social equity. She told the Senate Judiciary Committee she would, if appointed to the Rhode Island Cannabis Act Commission, implement its goals “in a manner that is safe and transparent in the coming years.”
Ahern stated that “the act places strong emphasis on social equality and worker-owned co-operatives, and I am eager to start on these aspects.”
Ahern’s term will expire on May 17, 2025 if approved.
Jacquard is a self-employed lawyer who was a member of the General Assembly between 1993 and 2021. He said that the state law provided the framework necessary for the commission to achieve “many of the goals” raised by activists. He said that the best way to achieve this is to be transparent with decisions and listen to everyone who comes before the commission.
Jacquard stated that “public support and confidence in these businesses is essential for their success.”
Jacquard, who is also an attorney, spent 22 years in the Cranston Police Department. He said that he had to arrest people when they were caught with marijuana, which was illegal at the moment.
Jacquard, a former police officer, told the Committee his opinion on marijuana has changed since he was a member.
He said: “I believe adults know what they are getting into, and have the right make their own decisions about substances.” Jacquard believes that the only exception should be for children.
The term of Jacquard would expire 2026.
Oduyingbo is the third of McKee’s picks who will testify in front of the Judiciary Committee. He told the lawmakers that his experience as a Black male would help him succeed as an equity commissioner by understanding cases.
He said, “It’s up to the Commission to perform its duties in an equitable and just manner.” “I’m confident that I can do it.”
Oduyingbo’s term will expire in 2024 if approved by the Senate.
This article was originally published in Rhode Island Current .
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The article Rhode Island Cannabis Control Commission nominees approved by Senate panel first appeared on Marijuana Moment.
