# Rhode Island H8544: AN ACT RELATING TO FOOD AND DRUGS -- THE RHODE ISLAND CANNABIS ACT . Rhode Island H8544, AN ACT RELATING TO FOOD AND DRUGS -- THE RHODE ISLAND CANNABIS ACT ., is a 2026 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Scott A. Slater (Democratic); status signed, last action 2026-06-10 (Signed by Governor — Chapter 064); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-11-01). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/RI-H8544-2026 - As of: 2026-11-01 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Rhode Island H8544 - State: Rhode Island - Session: 2026 Regular Session - Title: AN ACT RELATING TO FOOD AND DRUGS -- THE RHODE ISLAND CANNABIS ACT . - Status: signed - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2026-05-13 - Last action: 2026-06-10, Signed by Governor — Chapter 064 - Sponsor: Scott A. Slater (Democratic) - Cosponsors: 0 - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 2 (92 yes, 9 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 14 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Free grow tags for medical patients: benefit, low. Beginning December 1, 2022, patient cardholders and authorized primary caregivers do not pay for seed‑to‑sale cannabis tags. This lowers out‑of‑pocket costs for medical home growers. - Legal protections for compliant operators: benefit, low. Licensed retailers, lab licensees and agents, and state staff are protected from arrest, prosecution, or penalties for actions that follow this law and Commission rules. Searches or seizures still apply where the law allows. Protection applies only to conduct within this chapter and, for state staf… - New cultivator licenses paused; canopy cap: cost, medium. New cultivator licenses are paused until two years after the Commission issues final rules. Existing medical cultivators licensed under chapter 28.6 keep operating. When new licenses open, each new cultivator is capped at a 10,000 square‑foot canopy. The Commission must consider market findings bef… - Operating rules for growers and makers: cost, medium. To be a cultivator, you must be 21+, pass a background check, be current on taxes, pay nonrefundable and annual fees, and agree to inspections. You must have a cultivator license to operate and may grow only at Commission‑approved sites that meet local zoning. Cultivators can sell only to licensed… - Rules and fees for cannabis labs: cost, low. To run a testing lab, you must be 21+, pass an FBI fingerprint background check, be current on taxes, and pay a nonrefundable application fee and an annual license fee. Labs and their agents must register with the Commission. Labs cannot sell to consumers. People who own or work at a lab, and their… - New fees and rules for cannabis retailers: mixed, high. The law caps retail licenses at 24 statewide, with no more than 4 per zone. In each zone, one slot is for a workers’ cooperative and one is for a social equity applicant. Retailers must pay a $30,000 yearly license fee, plus a nonrefundable application fee set by the commission. Applicants must be… - Stronger testing rules for cannabis products: mixed, medium. All cannabis products must be tested by a licensed lab before sale. Tests must follow Department of Health and Commission rules and check cannabinoids and contaminants. Labs must report any contamination to the Commission, Health, and Environmental Management within 48 hours. These rules improve sa… - Background checks and fairer license reviews: mixed, medium. All applicants must submit fingerprints for a national FBI background check and pay the cost. The Commission cannot deny or revoke a license only because of a past cannabis conviction that this law decriminalizes, or an equivalent out‑of‑state offense. Meeting qualifications does not guarantee a li… - Fair-chance licensing and record limits: mixed, medium. Applicants and licensees must truthfully disclose past and new convictions. Not disclosing can lead to denial, suspension, revocation, or criminal prosecution. The commission cannot use juvenile records, arrests without conviction, expunged records, certain misdemeanors, or unrelated convictions. I… - Licensing rules for cannabis manufacturers: mixed, medium. If you make or process cannabis products and do not grow, you must hold a manufacturer license. You can buy from licensed cultivators and sell only to other licensed entities, and you must report all purchases and sales. You must be 21+, pass a background check, show tax compliance, pay a nonrefund… - Mandatory lab testing before cannabis sales: mixed, medium. No cannabis or product can be sold or marketed until a licensed lab tests it. Products must meet commission and Health Department testing rules. Testing covers potency, cannabinoid profile, and contaminants like pesticides, metals, microbes, and solvents. These safety checks add steps and costs for… - Medical cultivators can add adult-use: mixed, medium. Beginning August 1, 2022, licensed medical cultivators may operate as hybrid cultivators for both medical and adult use. They must pay an extra license fee set during the transition. The fee goes to the Social Equity Fund. Hybrid growers must make good‑faith efforts not to harm medical supply and p… - New social equity rules and reset: mixed, medium. A social equity business must be at least 51% owned and controlled by people harmed by past cannabis enforcement. Qualifying people include those arrested, convicted, or adjudicated for cannabis offenses before May 25, 2022, or members of impacted families. The law removes the old “disproportionate… - New tracking and compliance for cultivators: mixed, medium. Cultivators must track every plant in a seed‑to‑sale system. The commission can set and change cultivator application and license fees. Cultivators must allow inspections and report name or address changes within 10 days or face a fine up to $150. Replacement license fees are capped at $100, and an… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Scott A. Slater (Democratic), House ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2026-06-09 | Senate | RELATING TO FOOD AND DRUGS -- THE RHODE ISLAND CANNABIS ACT In Concurrence Passage | pass | 29 | 8 | | | 2026-06-04 | House | THE RHODE ISLAND CANNABIS ACT PASSAGE | pass | 63 | 1 | | ## Actions (11) - 2026-06-10: Signed by Governor — Chapter 064 (Governor) - 2026-06-09: Transmitted to Governor (Governor) - 2026-06-09: Senate passed in concurrence (Senate) - 2026-06-05: Placed on Senate Calendar (06/09/2026) (Senate) - 2026-06-04: House read and passed (House) - 2026-06-02: Placed on House Calendar (06/04/2026) (House) - 2026-06-02: Committee recommends passage - 2026-05-29: Scheduled for consideration (06/02/2026) - 2026-05-21: Committee recommended measure be held for further study - 2026-05-15: Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration (05/21/2026) - 2026-05-13: Introduced, referred to House Corporations (House) ## Bill text - H8544 - As Introduced, 2026-05-13: [HTML](https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText26/HouseText26/H8544.htm), [PDF](https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText26/HouseText26/H8544.pdf) ## Related bills - H8605: JOINT RESOLUTION MAKING AN APPROPRIATION TO PAY CERTAIN CLAIMS . (became law) - H8580: AN ACT RELATING TO THE NORTH TIVERTON FIRE DISTRICT . (became law) - H8586: AN ACT RELATING TO HIGHWAYS -- RHODE ISLAND TURNPIKE AND BRIDGE AUTHORITY . (became law) - H8525: AN ACT RELATING TO TAXATION -- LEVY AND ASSESSMENT OF LOCAL TAXES . (became law) - H8506: AN ACT RELATING TO TOWNS AND CITIES -- RELATING TO CENTRAL FALLS PENSION PLAN . (became law) - H8437: AN ACT RELATING TO TAXATION -- PROPERTY SUBJECT TO TAXATION . (became law) ## Sources - [H8544 - As Introduced (HTML)](https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText26/HouseText26/H8544.htm) - [H8544 - As Introduced (PDF)](https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText26/HouseText26/H8544.pdf) ## Related - [H8605: JOINT RESOLUTION MAKING AN APPROPRIATION TO PAY CERTAIN CLAIMS .](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/RI-H8605-2026) - [H8580: AN ACT RELATING TO THE NORTH TIVERTON FIRE DISTRICT .](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/RI-H8580-2026) - [H8586: AN ACT RELATING TO HIGHWAYS -- RHODE ISLAND TURNPIKE AND BRIDGE AUTHORITY .](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/RI-H8586-2026) - [H8525: AN ACT RELATING TO TAXATION -- LEVY AND ASSESSMENT OF LOCAL TAXES .](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/RI-H8525-2026) - [H8506: AN ACT RELATING TO TOWNS AND CITIES -- RELATING TO CENTRAL FALLS PENSION PLAN .](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/RI-H8506-2026) - [H8437: AN ACT RELATING TO TAXATION -- PROPERTY SUBJECT TO TAXATION .](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/RI-H8437-2026) - [Rhode Island bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/rhode-island/bills) - [Rhode Island state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/rhode-island) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/RI-H8544-2026 (as of 2026-11-01).