Rhode Island

Rhode Island’s SB 984 is a bill that would provide for robust regulation of hemp beverage products.  Unfortunately, the bill implicitly bans direct-to-consumer sales by requiring sales of THC-infused beverages to occur on the premises of registered retailers.  Additionally, this legislation specifies that THC-infused beverages are limited to 5mg of THC per serving, and that a single beverage may not contain more than two servings per container, for a total limit of 10mg of THC per container.

While this bill includes some positive elements, such as requiring that advertising must not appeal to children and requiring individuals to be age 21 or older to purchase THC-infused beverages, this bill would severely hurt the hemp industry via its implicit ban on direct-to-consumer sales. 

Please ask legislators to amend this legislation by explicitly permitting direct-to-consumer sales. 

Additionally, HB 6270 introduces amendments to the Rhode Island Cannabis Act, specifically targeting the regulation of beverages and drink mix powders containing hemp-derived delta-9 THC. The bill seeks to prohibit the sale of such items unless they are approved under the state’s existing cannabis regulatory framework.

Banning hemp products is a step backwards. A ban will reduce economic opportunities for hemp farmers and small businesses and take products away from consumers who have come to rely on them for their health and wellness. 

Rather than ban hemp-derived THC products, please ask legislators to consider a regulatory framework which models what many other states have chosen—stronger enforcement, licensing for manufacturers and sellers, independent testing of hemp products, adequate labeling which prohibits child-enticing images, and age restrictions for consumable hemp products. Rather than banning hemp THC products, these reasonable restrictions ensure that adult consumers have direct access to the products they need, while keeping intoxicating products out of the hands of children.