The governor of Rhode Island said on Friday that he supports allowing people to have their prior marijuana records expunged as part of an effort to legalize cannabis—even though that policy was not included in a reform proposal he recently introduced. Gov. Daniel McKee (D) was also asked about his former opposition to legalization during an interview with WPRI-TV’s Newsmakers and said “the landscape has changed” on the issue, pointing out that states like neighboring Massachusetts have moved forward with ending cannabis prohibition. Last week, McKee unveiled his budget proposal for the 2022 fiscal year that included language to legalize marijuana for adult use. It came days after legislative leaders introduced their own bill to tax and regulate cannabis sales. But unlike that measure, the governor’s plan did not explicitly call for clearing previous convictions.
Kyle Jaeger, Marijuana Moment, 03/22/2021 08:45:00