RI approves 5 adult-use marijuana retailers as Dec. 1 launch nears

Five licensed medical marijuana providers in Rhode Island received state approval on Tuesday to sell in the state’s adult-use market, which launches Dec. 1.

Under the transition, medical marijuana dispensaries – called compassion centers in Rhode Island – applied for “hybrid retail licenses,” which allow them to sell into both the MMJ and recreational markets.

The five approved businesses are:

• Aura of Rhode Island in Central Falls.
• Greenleaf Compassionate Care Center, Portsmouth.
• Mother Earth Wellness, Pawtucket.
• Rise, Warwick.
• Thomas C. Slater Center, Providence.

“This milestone is the result of a carefully executed process to ensure that our state’s entry into this emerging market was done in a safe, controlled and equitable manner,” Gov. Dan McKee, a Democrat, said in a news release.

At the conclusion of Election Day, only voters in six 25 Rhode Island cities rejected proposed bans on adult-use sales within their borders, East Providence TV station WPRI reported.

The cities where voters rejected bans will allow retail sales.

As the adult-use launch nears, Rhode Island’s medical marijuana market has experienced some product-testing failures.

MMJ products from nine companies, including the Thomas C. Slater Compassion Center, Greenleaf and Rise, tested positive for banned pesticides, according to WPRI.

The contaminated products were identified before entering the retail market and either quarantined for a retest or destroyed.

Source: https://mjbizdaily.com/rhode-island-approves-5-adult-use-marijuana-retailers-as-dec-1-launch-nears/