Lawmakers in the Rhode Island House approved a proposal for reworking the state’s cannabis advertising laws. The bill, which would allow state-licensed dispensaries to advertise via billboards, goes next to the Senate.
Rhode Island House Approves Cannabis Advertising Bill
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The Rhode Island House on Tuesday unanimously approved a bill to allow state-approved cannabis companies to advertise on billboards, the Boston Globe reports. Under the state’s cannabis legalization law, Rhode Island businesses were not allowed to advertise on billboards; however, companies in neighboring states, including Massachusetts and Connecticut, were advertising on billboards in the state.
State Rep. Scott A. Slater (D), who introduced the cannabis legalization and advertising bills, said the state’s dispensaries were at “a serious disadvantage” because they were not allowed to advertise on billboards while out-of-state companies were already doing so.
“Now that Rhode Island’s recreational cannabis industry is up and running, our dispensaries are facing a significant obstacle when competing with our neighbors in Massachusetts and Connecticut. … This bill will correct this inequity while also supporting these new local businesses in Rhode Island by hopefully keeping Rhode Islanders from crossing the border to shop for their cannabis in neighboring states.” — Slater to the Globe
The bill allows the state Office of Cannabis Regulation to provide cannabis companies with forms, policies, and requirements for advertising products in the state.
The measure still requires approval from the state Senate and by the governor.
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