Legal status of marijuana in the state of rhode island

MEDICAL MARIJUANA IN RHODE ISLAND

Medical marijuana has been legal in Rhode Island since 2006 and is legal for patients with a prescription from a licensed physician.

Any registered marijuana patients is allowed to possess up to 2,5 oz (70 grams) and cultivate up to 12 plants and 12 seedlings.

The qualifying conditions to become a medical marijuana patient in Rhode Island include:

• Alzheimer's Disease
• Cachexia
• Cancer
• Crohn's disease
• Glaucoma
• Hepatitis C
• HIV/AIDS
• Nausea
• Post traumatic stress disorder
• Seizures (including those characteristic of epilepsy)
• Severe and persistent muscle spasms, (including those characteristic of multiple sclerosis)
• Severe, debilitating or chronic pain

RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA IN RHODE ISLAND

Attempts to legalize recreational marijuana have been made each year since 2011, but at the moment the cultivation, sale, and possession of cannabis for recreational purposes are illegal in Rhode Island.

Although possession of recreational cannabis is illegal in Rhode Island, getting caught with less than 1 oz (28 grams) is treated as a Civil Violation and will get you a fine up to $150.

Getting caught with more than 1 oz but less than 1 kilo will be treated as a misdemeanor and land you in jail for up to 1 year and get you a fine of up to $500.

More than that is seen as an intention to distribute and is taken a bit more seriously with penalties starting with a minimum jail sentence of 10 years and fines starting at $500,000.

Lawmakers are hoping to get a bill passed in 2017, legalizing recreational marijuana use for adults in the state of Rhode Island.

So far nothing has changed and we are not aware of any possible law changes in the (near) future in Rhode Island regarding medical and/or recreational cannabis.