Cannabis in Rhode Island

Yes: adults 21 and older can legally buy, carry and grow cannabis in Rhode Island. Governor Dan McKee signed the Rhode Island Cannabis Act on May 25, 2022, which made possession legal at once, and adult-use sales started on December 1, 2022 through the state's existing compassion centers, now "hybrid" retailers licensed for both medical and adult-use customers. The Cannabis Control Commission (CCC) licenses and regulates the market.

An adult may carry up to one ounce of flower or five grams of concentrate in public and keep up to ten ounces at home. Each adult may grow three mature plants and three immature plants, with a cap of six mature plants per household. Adult-use purchases carry a 10% cannabis excise tax, the 7% state sales tax and a 3% local tax, or about 20% in all. Consumption is banned where children could be exposed and in public places where tobacco is banned. Medical cardholders may obtain 2.5 ounces of dried marijuana no more than once every 15 days and, unlike other adults, may grow 12 mature and 12 immature plants under the 2006 Hawkins-Slater Medical Marijuana Act.

Retail supply is thin. Sources count eight or nine hybrid stores, and the CCC reported $167 million in regulated sales for 2025 and $29.5 million in retail sales in the first quarter of 2026. A federal judge in Jensen v. Rhode Island Cannabis Control Commission halted the state's retail-license lottery in April 2026, ruling in effect that in-state ownership requirements probably violated the Commerce Clause. Governor McKee signed HB 8544 and SB 3313 on June 10, 2026, voiding earlier applications and social-equity certifications and reopening the process for 24 retail licenses in six zones. The CCC's portal opened on August 7, and applications are due by November 23, 2026. Confirm any store with the CCC before you buy. This page is general information, not legal advice.