Mean in marijuana have passed laws to. Allow recreational. Marijuana Rhode Island must be feeling left out. He’s a big debate going on the headline reads the pot legalization debate in Rhode Island revenue vs social impact. We’re joined now by the reporter she’s the journal Statehouse bureau reporter for the Providence journal. Jennifer bogged in hi Jennifer are you. Harry terrific so.
It sounds to me is that the Rhode Island Legislature is making an about face and considering. Legalizing recreational marijuana what happened. Yes it bill here for about seven years that we’ve had the debate for many years but. And Massachusetts jumped on board I would say things here and and but I had the ear. There’s a lot of it. We don’t act that. With Massachusetts legalizing. We’ll have people who look at across the waters. And bring it back and we eat at the impact here and not have a tribute to yell at that and that’s a situation that the legislature and right now. The that would wasn’t the speaker of the house vehemently opposed to it just six months ago. You vehemently oppose. And he has. You open Billy. None of our. Has really done all their cards on the issue I would say it went kind of walking a line at that point. What about the police chiefs association. And I assume there are opposed to legalizing.
They they are they came armed aren’t hearing it you’re an example of problems that have occurred in. He doesn’t eat. With marijuana. They argue that if we legalize. The black market while me and the eye and kind of problem only intent but by and by advocates say if you legalize all these kind of problems will go back. Via the and labor unions are they weighing in. Oh until this year labor unions really have not oh lead and likely that we are labor union the ear. Or. I’m at EIU 11199. And they are worker union that was an interesting. Development to have. Ani union coming out either way. How are the polls in Rhode Island that would do what is the general population. In Massachusetts.
It passed pretty handily as it did in mean. Which what are the what what is the whole NTELOS in Rhode Island as to whether or not the citizens want. I’m an advocate eager. I’m glad you won that there calling. You get it out of a population. It. Quite there and they they used at the pickle and it yet but is that the player constituents. Yeah that’s that a body you know that’s pretty consistent with the other states right made a bad yes. Eddie that’s who we may hold hide that they didn’t come the vote didn’t come in nearly as lopsided as we thought it would. What does what how much tax revenue in Rhode Island mate with the estimates in terms of tax revenue for a. You read they know obviously it a couple of years cities and I think mr. ram.
Yeah they say if we legalize this year when he when he advocates say we would get about. 48 million dollars in revenue and that would be roughly 31 back. I have a that is at mar all our. Of the budget at less than one. Bird island. Budget but following air. Right right. The if they legalize it it would have to be grown in Rhode Island that’s gonna have a big impact on your commercial real estate sector. Yes now that’s something that we have found recently and it kind of an old pilot in the medical side and until legalize. Side. But we found recently that there’s been a bit of Russia where how they’d been heard island. In part because work. Also. Lleyton being medical dwellers we have found that real neat that they are saying that they’re up and a lot of speculation about what happened here people are trying to lock down warehouse it early. Oh. Doubling. Grant caught in some cases bidding wars and other cases.
And entry situation Jennifer I’m from your purview how do you think this plays out where is Rhode Island generate legalize it. That I don’t know that I let the big money on it either way at this point. Pretty close. I think you going to be it’s going to be an interesting that the CI a goat and me we. Our budget situation interest thing I don’t know ill Lara the revenue it and then you know. Any bank as a governor median at all gene. Net but got. And learn and particularly about apple and that current bill would not at pebble. Roughly a year and a half of the state could make their own regulations on that I think they were trying to eater that elected governor at that. Our concern worksheet open go out and now that will. Are they better off doing the legislation themselves meaning the legislature’s opposed to having a ballot initiative like we had a mask does that denied. Bet that’s a disaster in Massachusetts. Yet the island nada ballot initiative. They so when we have had. Any you know any kind of marijuana legislate the marijuana issue here have always been that would be elected. And our medical program art band series they’ve always been created by legislation. And that would put it in a better.
And you know you wouldn’t be reworking something that was the ballot and it and that amok here a lot let’s go lawmaker. App Store out by a point. How long it has Rhode Island had medical. A little over ten years now ten years. In their life you’re allowed to grow it in your rivalry isn’t like a dozen plants in grow right. Down the medical patients we have about 171000 in herd island lit up. Roughly one in every fifth seed people on the state is they’ve medical patient. And all the that they are allowed to grow in the column. Some of the supplant these so yeah. Right well I guess Lee it’s just wait and see right days and see where it see what happens in Rhode Island. Yeah I always say thanks Jennifer appreciate your time. Aric thank air quality the is it something truck hit it generational I know. Generally speaking millennial Los are very much in favor of legalizing recreational marijuana yes. Is is this something is just like ten years from now gonna kind of look back at this like prohibition and booze yes. 100% it’s it’s no different if you go back I’m serve he went back to the 1940s.
You probably had a whole bunch of people who were born in 187 units at all I can’t believe they’ve legalized who’s now I can’t believe they did doubt why would they overdo it’s it’s just the nature of the beast now. Obviously you you know you’d hear all these stories well someone started out doing marijuana and they moved on this and that and everything. Those stories and generally when you look at the statistics are the exception to the rule most people who end up using marijuana and don’t go on to become heavy drug use. OK you know this because we’ve seen the statistics words like what like 40% of people smoked marijuana at some point their life. But that doesn’t mean a 40% of them end up doing something else I wonder how the people. Colorado feel about it because they’ve had the longest I wonder what the poll in would be. In Colorado like he still he had it for five years do you still like having recreational marijuana in Colorado. There’s if I’ve talked to be by I have some family lives in Colorado they are vehemently opposed they basing its its terrible. But I don’t know that the general pop today providing examples as to why it’s terrible. I get older they’re my age and they think it’s the and they think it leads to a degradation of society is just at the game the lead in the near Tito letters guy here you know. So the the statistics over in Colorado there was a poll that was done by the Denver Post looks like one towards the end of last year in September and that’s after several years of having correct and off 45%. Of people had voted against it back when Dave legalize it was like twelve or thirteen I think. I’m only 36 or 8% more in favor of repealing it today so fewer people.
Been voted against it back then compared to 45%. It would voted against today and so. It shows that you always are going to have people who think that it should be legal I’m sure if you polled people on whether or not alcohol sales would be illegal and 20% would say look they shouldn’t sell alcohol because dangers I know the one of the reasons people like it in Colorado is it’s had a pronounced effect on the economy. That commercial real steady jobs unemployment Aaron that side of it’s been very good yeah and when. This is from that same poll when looking at the impact on the economy 61% of his Colorado respondents said the impacted been positive. 19% said negative 14% said no impact at 6% weren’t sure. So significant majority there said that they believed it was still good economically to do this.
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