Rhode Island Governor’s MMJ Proposal (aka Welcome Back Cartels!) - Cannabis Laws & Cannabis Legislation - International Cannagraphic Magazine Forums

t99 · 02-13-2016, 02:06 AM

https://ripatients.org

RIPAC Rhode Island Patient Advocacy Coalition
Medical Marijuana Advocacy in Rhode Island

Summary of Governor’s MMj Proposal

Every Plant Must Have Tag

Every MMj plant in RI would be required to have a tag except for Compassion Center plants.

Tags to be purchased annually from Department of Business Regulation (DBR) at a price to be determined by DBR regulation. Revenues would go to the state treasury, not to administer MMP.

The Governor said that the prices per tag would be $150 for patients and $350 for caregivers. The fact that the Governor has announced the prices gives the impression that DBR has already determined the prices. Ordinarily, there is a public hearing prior to a regulation being issued. DBR can, but is not required to, issue regulations with lower prices for low income patients and caregivers who provide for low income patients.

Spokesperson for the administration claims that prices for tags are based on 2% of the revenues produced by one plant which is 17,000 dollars.

Not clear where the 17,000 dollar figure came from but it is a grandiose fantasy. We have yet to come across a 17,000 dollar plant. Plants grown by a patient for their own medical use have no commercial value because the medicine is not sold. Caregivers who are growing for their registered patients can be reimbursed for expenses but not profit. Again, the medicine has no commercial value because it cannot be sold for profit. Only cardholders who sell to the compassion centers can legally profit from the sale of medical cannabis. These cardholders receive wholesale, not retail prices from the compassion centers, who resell the cannabis. These cardholders must pay income taxes on the sales to the compassion centers. The compassion centers must charge a 7% sales tax when they sell the medicine to patients in addition to the 4% tax they pay on monthly gross revenues.

Failure to purchase plant tags could result in revocation of MMj card and fines.

Patients Could Use Any and All Compassion Centers

A patient could purchase at any of the three compassion centers. No more registering for compassion centers. Still restricted to 2.5 ounces every 15 days. Data base will use patient MMj numbers to facilitate communication between compassion centers to ensure that no patient buys more than 2.5 ounces every 15 days from compassion centers.

Plant Counts

Patients may have up to 6 plants, including seedlings. Patients may have a combination of mature plants and seedlings as long as the total does not exceed six. This is a 75% reduction in the plant count.

Caregivers may still be registered for as many as five patients. They may have six plants (a combination of mature plants and seedlings) per patient However, they cannot exceed a total of 24 (mature and seedlings) plants. This also is a drastic reduction in plant count depending on the number of patients. For caregivers with one patient, it is a 75%reduction.

A patient who is also a caregiver must count him or herself as one of the patients. Therefore, a patient who becomes a caregiver can have a maximum of 4 patients and count themselves as the fifth. (Unclear if the patient who is his own caregiver can have 2.5 ounces of dried usable)

Co-ops will have the same total plant counts but with no distinction between mature plants and seedlings. Instead of 24 mature and 12 seedlings, a residential co-op could have a total of 36 in any combination.

Instead of 48 mature and 24 seedlings, non-residential co-ops could have a total 72 plants in any combination.

Co-ops must have patients to correspond with plant numbers. A residential co-op would have to provide for at least six patients to grow 36 plants. A non-residential co-op would have to provide for at least 12 patients to grow 72 plants.

Limits on Dried Usable Medicine

No change. Patient is still limited to 2.5 ounces. Caregiver with one patient can have 2.5 ounces. Caregiver with 2-5 patients may have 5 ounces.

Grow Locations

Maximum of 24 plants in a dwelling unit or commercial unit except for co-ops and “licensed cultivators”. Commercial unit is a building or room within commercial building. A dwelling unit means the room or group of rooms within a dwelling used or intended for use by one family or household, or by no more than three unrelated individuals, for living, sleeping, cooking and eating.

All grows must be registered with DBR. A cardholder can grow in only one location.

Authorized Purchaser

Patient may designate “authorized purchaser” to purchase medicine at compassion centers for them. Must be 21 and register with health department. They may not grow or use patient’s medicine. Can only have one patient. Background checks not required by proposed law but fees and other requirements will be determined by Health Department.

Patient Options for Medicine

If a patient purchases tags to grow, then they cannot appoint a caregiver or authorized purchaser. They can use the compassion centers but if they are too sick or unable to get there, they will not have anyone to purchase on their behalf.

If a patient does not grow, then may appoint a caregiver or authorized purchaser (cannot appoint both) and can use the compassion centers.

Flammable Chemical Extracts

Patients and caregivers prohibited from creating concentrates through flammable solvents including, but not limited to, butane, hexane, and propane.

Physicians

Massachusetts and Connecticut physicians could no longer certify patient applications. RI physicians only.

Cultivators License

New category of grower to be licensed and regulated by DBR

DBR would issue regulations that determine qualifications, plant counts, application process, fees, etc

Each plant must have tag to be purchased annually

Cultivator could not be a caregiver or participate in co-op

Could sell to compassion centers only – no direct sales to patients, caregivers or authorized purchasers.

Inspection

Caregivers, licensed cultivators, licensed compassion centers, and licensed cooperative cultivations wouldbe subject to “reasonable inspection” by the DBR for the purposes of enforcing regulations and laws. DBR to determine whether inspections include law enforcement.

Law enforcement shall have access to information about growers “only to the extent necessary to verify information about medical marijuana tags, caregiver cardholders, licensed cultivators, cooperative cultivations, and compassion center cardholders.” If law enforcement asks the Health Dept. for information about a patient, the Dept. will only verify patient’s MMj number, which is the current law.

Department of Business Regulation

Would register all grows, license and inspect. Will be issuing new fee schedules for grows and tags. Fees for tags go to the state’s general fund. Other fees to go to an account for administration of MMP.

Would license and regulate cultivators and compassion centers.

Issue a report by 1/1/17 evaluating effectiveness of compassion centers and make recommendations as to need for additional centers

Health Department

Would still register patients. Would register authorized purchasers

Regulate labelling, testing and maintenance of compassion center products

Hospice Patients

Health department would expedite applications for Hospice patients

Compassion Centers

The current 4% tax would be reduced to 3% as of July 1, 2016

Gifting Provision

The gifting provision allows a patient or caregiver to GIVE medicine to another cardholder as long as there is no consideration (nothing of value is asked for in return) and the person receiving the gift does not go over their limit. The gifting provision, which so many so income patients benefit from, would be eliminated.

Effective Date

New law would take effect 7/1/16. Patients and caregivers would have to comply with new plant limits by 12/31/16.

To view the actual text of proposed law :

https://webserver.rilin.state.ri.us/B...xt16/H7454.pdf

Go to Article 14 on page 194

Please note that when you read the text, you will see many provisions crossed out but if you keep reading, you will see that many are reinserted in a different section.

February 4, 2016Leave a reply
Governor wants patients to pay $150 dollars to the state for each plant. Caregivers to pay $350
We still have not seen the text of the budget, but we know the Governor wants a tax paid for every plant being grown by a patient or caregiver. That tax would be $150 per plant for patients and $350 per plant for caregivers. According to ProJo, the administration believes that each plant generates 17,000 dollars, so the taxes only amount to 2% of revenues. Mind boggling. If a patient is growing for their own use, how is that plant generating 17,000 dollars? It does not produce revenue. It produces MEDICINE. Some plants fail. Many patients grow plants that produce an ounce or less because they do their best to stay within their limits of 2.5 ounces of dried usable. If a caregiver is growing for a patient and is reimbursed for expenses, how is the plant producing $17,000? Again, the plant produces MEDICINE, not revenue. https://www.providencejournal.com/new...rijuana-plants

This proposal is causing stress, anger and despair. Keep in mind that this is a proposal that must be accepted by the General Assembly in order to become law. Every RI patient and caregiver has a state rep and state senator who represents them. Do you know who represents you? If not, find out. Go to: https://sos.ri.gov/vic/. If you are having trouble getting the contact info for your state rep or state senator try googling them or try calling your local town or city hall. Remember you are calling your STATE rep and senator, not federal. Senators Reed and Whitehouse and Representatives Langevin and Cicilline are all federal. When you make your calls, let them know what would happen to you or your patients if this tax is passed.

Keep in mind that we still don’t have details as to how this program would be implemented other than the fact that patients and caregivers would have to purchase tags for each plant for 150 or 350 dollars. There are many other provisions in the Governor’s proposal, some of which we believe are favorable to patients. However, we need to see the written document so we can provide you with accurate information. Hopefully, we will be able to provide you with an in-depth analysis in the next few days.

We are shocked and disappointed at the Governor’s proposal to tax the plant. We have had recent conversations with the Governor’s office. We expressed many concerns we have regarding lack of access to affordable quality medicine. We emphasized the struggles of the many low-income patients in the program. The Governor’s office never indicated that they were planning such a tax. We are scheduled to speak with the Governor’s office next week. We will keep you posted.

t99 · 02-13-2016, 02:24 AM

$17,000 plant ÷ 2.5oz possession limit = $6800 ounce?

danuttmahn · 02-13-2016, 06:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by t99

$17,000 plant ÷ 2.5oz possession limit = $6800 ounce?

You forgot to factor in the new tolls in that price!

stoned-trout · 02-14-2016, 12:24 AM

better grow big plants for that 17k....yeehaw...and sell it off by the gram to buy them tags...I have never gotten more than 3lbs from a plant...but I generally grow stealth plants outside and sog or short veg inside....I trained a skunk plant once after vegging it a bit inside ,,to a long row of what looked like bushes...with that low of a possession limit they are trying to control growers from growing large plants....glad I don't live there..and if I did they could fuck off..limits are for pussies...

stoned-trout · 02-14-2016, 12:54 AM

and you give up your rights ,,,to be inspected by DBR when they deciede ...fuck that shit...yeehaw....seen a few concerts there too way back civic center...short trip from mass....be a cold day in hell I paid the state 900$$$$ to grow my own 6 plants...what legally amounts to 2.5 per harvest...WTF....that's insane...PRICES WILL RISE black market will improve...otherwise your basically paying the state 60 dollars an ounce for growing your own weed....

JohnKimble · 02-21-2016, 03:28 AM

Where do people get these ridiculous ideas that MJ plants are worth that much? lol

shaggyballs · 02-21-2016, 06:34 PM

A vote of NO will stop this kind legalization.

02-13-2016, 02:06 AM	#1
t99 Member Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: On the pot Posts: 573	Rhode Island Governor’s MMJ Proposal (aka Welcome Back Cartels!) https://ripatients.org RIPAC Rhode Island Patient Advocacy Coalition Medical Marijuana Advocacy in Rhode Island Summary of Governor’s MMj Proposal Every Plant Must Have Tag Every MMj plant in RI would be required to have a tag except for Compassion Center plants. Tags to be purchased annually from Department of Business Regulation (DBR) at a price to be determined by DBR regulation. Revenues would go to the state treasury, not to administer MMP. The Governor said that the prices per tag would be $150 for patients and $350 for caregivers. The fact that the Governor has announced the prices gives the impression that DBR has already determined the prices. Ordinarily, there is a public hearing prior to a regulation being issued. DBR can, but is not required to, issue regulations with lower prices for low income patients and caregivers who provide for low income patients. Spokesperson for the administration claims that prices for tags are based on 2% of the revenues produced by one plant which is 17,000 dollars. Not clear where the 17,000 dollar figure came from but it is a grandiose fantasy. We have yet to come across a 17,000 dollar plant. Plants grown by a patient for their own medical use have no commercial value because the medicine is not sold. Caregivers who are growing for their registered patients can be reimbursed for expenses but not profit. Again, the medicine has no commercial value because it cannot be sold for profit. Only cardholders who sell to the compassion centers can legally profit from the sale of medical cannabis. These cardholders receive wholesale, not retail prices from the compassion centers, who resell the cannabis. These cardholders must pay income taxes on the sales to the compassion centers. The compassion centers must charge a 7% sales tax when they sell the medicine to patients in addition to the 4% tax they pay on monthly gross revenues. Failure to purchase plant tags could result in revocation of MMj card and fines. Patients Could Use Any and All Compassion Centers A patient could purchase at any of the three compassion centers. No more registering for compassion centers. Still restricted to 2.5 ounces every 15 days. Data base will use patient MMj numbers to facilitate communication between compassion centers to ensure that no patient buys more than 2.5 ounces every 15 days from compassion centers. Plant Counts Patients may have up to 6 plants, including seedlings. Patients may have a combination of mature plants and seedlings as long as the total does not exceed six. This is a 75% reduction in the plant count. Caregivers may still be registered for as many as five patients. They may have six plants (a combination of mature plants and seedlings) per patient However, they cannot exceed a total of 24 (mature and seedlings) plants. This also is a drastic reduction in plant count depending on the number of patients. For caregivers with one patient, it is a 75%reduction. A patient who is also a caregiver must count him or herself as one of the patients. Therefore, a patient who becomes a caregiver can have a maximum of 4 patients and count themselves as the fifth. (Unclear if the patient who is his own caregiver can have 2.5 ounces of dried usable) Co-ops will have the same total plant counts but with no distinction between mature plants and seedlings. Instead of 24 mature and 12 seedlings, a residential co-op could have a total of 36 in any combination. Instead of 48 mature and 24 seedlings, non-residential co-ops could have a total 72 plants in any combination. Co-ops must have patients to correspond with plant numbers. A residential co-op would have to provide for at least six patients to grow 36 plants. A non-residential co-op would have to provide for at least 12 patients to grow 72 plants. Limits on Dried Usable Medicine No change. Patient is still limited to 2.5 ounces. Caregiver with one patient can have 2.5 ounces. Caregiver with 2-5 patients may have 5 ounces. Grow Locations Maximum of 24 plants in a dwelling unit or commercial unit except for co-ops and “licensed cultivators”. Commercial unit is a building or room within commercial building. A dwelling unit means the room or group of rooms within a dwelling used or intended for use by one family or household, or by no more than three unrelated individuals, for living, sleeping, cooking and eating. All grows must be registered with DBR. A cardholder can grow in only one location. Authorized Purchaser Patient may designate “authorized purchaser” to purchase medicine at compassion centers for them. Must be 21 and register with health department. They may not grow or use patient’s medicine. Can only have one patient. Background checks not required by proposed law but fees and other requirements will be determined by Health Department. Patient Options for Medicine If a patient purchases tags to grow, then they cannot appoint a caregiver or authorized purchaser. They can use the compassion centers but if they are too sick or unable to get there, they will not have anyone to purchase on their behalf. If a patient does not grow, then may appoint a caregiver or authorized purchaser (cannot appoint both) and can use the compassion centers. Flammable Chemical Extracts Patients and caregivers prohibited from creating concentrates through flammable solvents including, but not limited to, butane, hexane, and propane. Physicians Massachusetts and Connecticut physicians could no longer certify patient applications. RI physicians only. Cultivators License New category of grower to be licensed and regulated by DBR DBR would issue regulations that determine qualifications, plant counts, application process, fees, etc Each plant must have tag to be purchased annually Cultivator could not be a caregiver or participate in co-op Could sell to compassion centers only – no direct sales to patients, caregivers or authorized purchasers. Inspection Caregivers, licensed cultivators, licensed compassion centers, and licensed cooperative cultivations wouldbe subject to “reasonable inspection” by the DBR for the purposes of enforcing regulations and laws. DBR to determine whether inspections include law enforcement. Law enforcement shall have access to information about growers “only to the extent necessary to verify information about medical marijuana tags, caregiver cardholders, licensed cultivators, cooperative cultivations, and compassion center cardholders.” If law enforcement asks the Health Dept. for information about a patient, the Dept. will only verify patient’s MMj number, which is the current law. Department of Business Regulation Would register all grows, license and inspect. Will be issuing new fee schedules for grows and tags. Fees for tags go to the state’s general fund. Other fees to go to an account for administration of MMP. Would license and regulate cultivators and compassion centers. Issue a report by 1/1/17 evaluating effectiveness of compassion centers and make recommendations as to need for additional centers Health Department Would still register patients. Would register authorized purchasers Regulate labelling, testing and maintenance of compassion center products Hospice Patients Health department would expedite applications for Hospice patients Compassion Centers The current 4% tax would be reduced to 3% as of July 1, 2016 Gifting Provision The gifting provision allows a patient or caregiver to GIVE medicine to another cardholder as long as there is no consideration (nothing of value is asked for in return) and the person receiving the gift does not go over their limit. The gifting provision, which so many so income patients benefit from, would be eliminated. Effective Date New law would take effect 7/1/16. Patients and caregivers would have to comply with new plant limits by 12/31/16. To view the actual text of proposed law : https://webserver.rilin.state.ri.us/B...xt16/H7454.pdf Go to Article 14 on page 194 Please note that when you read the text, you will see many provisions crossed out but if you keep reading, you will see that many are reinserted in a different section. February 4, 2016Leave a reply Governor wants patients to pay $150 dollars to the state for each plant. Caregivers to pay $350 We still have not seen the text of the budget, but we know the Governor wants a tax paid for every plant being grown by a patient or caregiver. That tax would be $150 per plant for patients and $350 per plant for caregivers. According to ProJo, the administration believes that each plant generates 17,000 dollars, so the taxes only amount to 2% of revenues. Mind boggling. If a patient is growing for their own use, how is that plant generating 17,000 dollars? It does not produce revenue. It produces MEDICINE. Some plants fail. Many patients grow plants that produce an ounce or less because they do their best to stay within their limits of 2.5 ounces of dried usable. If a caregiver is growing for a patient and is reimbursed for expenses, how is the plant producing $17,000? Again, the plant produces MEDICINE, not revenue. https://www.providencejournal.com/new...rijuana-plants This proposal is causing stress, anger and despair. Keep in mind that this is a proposal that must be accepted by the General Assembly in order to become law. Every RI patient and caregiver has a state rep and state senator who represents them. Do you know who represents you? If not, find out. Go to: https://sos.ri.gov/vic/. If you are having trouble getting the contact info for your state rep or state senator try googling them or try calling your local town or city hall. Remember you are calling your STATE rep and senator, not federal. Senators Reed and Whitehouse and Representatives Langevin and Cicilline are all federal. When you make your calls, let them know what would happen to you or your patients if this tax is passed. Keep in mind that we still don’t have details as to how this program would be implemented other than the fact that patients and caregivers would have to purchase tags for each plant for 150 or 350 dollars. There are many other provisions in the Governor’s proposal, some of which we believe are favorable to patients. However, we need to see the written document so we can provide you with accurate information. Hopefully, we will be able to provide you with an in-depth analysis in the next few days. We are shocked and disappointed at the Governor’s proposal to tax the plant. We have had recent conversations with the Governor’s office. We expressed many concerns we have regarding lack of access to affordable quality medicine. We emphasized the struggles of the many low-income patients in the program. The Governor’s office never indicated that they were planning such a tax. We are scheduled to speak with the Governor’s office next week. We will keep you posted.
	Quote 1 members found this post helpful.

02-14-2016, 12:24 AM	#4
stoned-trout if it smells like fish Join Date: Feb 2014 Location: bible hill estates Posts: 8,328	better grow big plants for that 17k....yeehaw...and sell it off by the gram to buy them tags...I have never gotten more than 3lbs from a plant...but I generally grow stealth plants outside and sog or short veg inside....I trained a skunk plant once after vegging it a bit inside ,,to a long row of what looked like bushes...with that low of a possession limit they are trying to control growers from growing large plants....glad I don't live there..and if I did they could fuck off..limits are for pussies... __________________ SML..iff mi spellin and centances suk and yoo don't lyke itt too fukkin bad;/?.....I once was asked what I would say upon getting to the gates of heaven??? m/r is a visitors badge an option??? I would like a few drinks at the bar... YEEHAW....vote for real legalization not sum bullshit...free the weed or kiss my ass...you wont be getting my tax money..
	Quote 1 members found this post helpful.

02-14-2016, 12:54 AM	#5
stoned-trout if it smells like fish Join Date: Feb 2014 Location: bible hill estates Posts: 8,328	and you give up your rights ,,,to be inspected by DBR when they deciede ...fuck that shit...yeehaw....seen a few concerts there too way back civic center...short trip from mass....be a cold day in hell I paid the state 900$$$$ to grow my own 6 plants...what legally amounts to 2.5 per harvest...WTF....that's insane...PRICES WILL RISE black market will improve...otherwise your basically paying the state 60 dollars an ounce for growing your own weed.... __________________ SML..iff mi spellin and centances suk and yoo don't lyke itt too fukkin bad;/?.....I once was asked what I would say upon getting to the gates of heaven??? m/r is a visitors badge an option??? I would like a few drinks at the bar... YEEHAW....vote for real legalization not sum bullshit...free the weed or kiss my ass...you wont be getting my tax money..
	Quote

02-21-2016, 03:28 AM	#6
JohnKimble Member Join Date: Jul 2015 Posts: 367	Where do people get these ridiculous ideas that MJ plants are worth that much? lol __________________
	Quote

02-21-2016, 06:34 PM	#7
shaggyballs Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Hold your hand up...right about there! Posts: 1,975	A vote of NO will stop this kind legalization. __________________ Vote no to legalize cannabis or else! HydroBuddy Nute calculator Ins and outs of Pythium OVERGROW FAQ SEEDPAC Politically Active Cannabis Fighting for Michigan's Medical Marihuana Patients and Caregivers rights I am free because I know that I alone am morally responsible for everything I do. I am free, no matter what rules surround me. If I find them tolerable, I tolerate them; if I find them too obnoxious, I break them. I am free because I know that I alone am morally responsible for everything I do.
	Quote

02-13-2016, 02:24 AM	#2
t99 Member Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: On the pot Posts: 573	$17,000 plant ÷ 2.5oz possession limit = $6800 ounce?
	Quote