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SB 3313

AN ACT RELATING TO FOOD AND DRUGS -- THE RHODE ISLAND CANNABIS ACT

2026 Regular Session Introduced by Jonathon Acosta and 1 co-sponsor

SB 3313 overhauls Rhode Island cannabis licensing to prioritize social equity, creating reserved licenses for workers’ cooperatives and equity applicants while reopening refreshed

06/10/2026 Signed by Governor
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WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · SB 3313

Overview

  • Bill: SB 3313 (Rhode Island Cannabis Act)
  • Session: 2026
  • Introduced: May 22, 2026
  • Subjects: Food and Drug – cannabis law; social equity and licensing processes
  • Status: Referred to Senate Judiciary
  • Primary sponsors: Senators Bissaillon and Acosta

This act amends the Rhode Island Cannabis Act to adjust definitions, regulate licensing processes, and overhaul social equity certification and retail license procedures. It is effective upon passage.

Main purpose and intent

  • Clarify and update key terms used in the Rhode Island Cannabis Act.
  • Establish a new, separate process for social equity certification and for cannabis retail licensing.
  • Nullify prior social equity and retail license application processes and reopen them under revised rules.
  • Create a framework to promote equity in access to licenses and to govern the expansion of adult-use cannabis activity.

Key provisions and changes

  • Definitions (Section 1, 21-28.11-3):

    • Refines definitions for administrators, adult-use cannabis, applicants, social equity, ownership/control, and related terms.
    • Emphasizes Rhode Island residency requirements (and 51% ownership/control by Rhode Island residents for certain licenses) and sets out criteria for “disproportionately impacted areas.”
    • Introduces concepts such as “social equity applicant,” “workers’ cooperative,” “cannabis advisory board,” and production/canopy metrics.

  • Licensing framework for cultivators (Section 1, 21-28.11-7):

    • Maintains a moratorium on new cannabis cultivator licenses for two years after final issuance of rules, with exceptions for certain pre-existing medical cultivators.
    • Allows certain medical cultivators to convert to hybrid cultivators (adult-use and medical) upon payment of an additional license fee, with funds directed to the social equity fund.
    • Requires seed-to-sale tracking for cultivation, paves the way for seed-tagging for patient growers, and imposes inspections.

  • Product manufacturers/wholesalers (Section 1, 21-28.11-9):

    • Establishes licenses for cannabis product manufacturers/processors/wholesalers and sets transfer restrictions (no direct sales to consumers).
    • Requires testing and labeling standards and compliance with commission rules.
    • Similar immunity and enforcement provisions as cultivators.

  • Cannabis retail sales (Section 1, 21-28.11-10.2):

    • Provides for 24 retail licenses in geographic zones, with a cap of four per zone.
    • Each zone must reserve one license for a workers’ cooperative and one for a social equity applicant.
    • Minimum qualifications include age, residency, background check, tax compliance, zoning approval, and a $30,000 annual social equity fund payment.
    • Retailers must comply with testing, inspections, and labor/fair employment laws.
    • Similar immunity provisions for retailers and their staff.

  • Testing laboratories (Section 1, 21-28.11-11):

    • Creates licensure/oversight for cannabis testing labs, with protocols for contaminant testing and reporting to health and environmental agencies.
    • Prohibits direct sales to consumers by labs, and requires registration, background checks, and ongoing reporting.

  • Social equity and license process reformation (New Section 21-28.11-17.2, Section 2):

    • Nullifies prior social equity certifications and retail license applications.
    • Within 60 days of enactment, requires the commission to begin a new social equity certification process and a new retail license application process.
    • Refunds fees for prior, nullified processes.
    • Sets groundwork for new processes to be consistent with the act, while allowing severable regulations to remain in force.

Who is affected

  • Cannabis cultivators, product manufacturers/wholesalers, and cannabis retailers operating under Rhode Island’s regime.
  • Medical cannabis licensees transitioning to hybrid adult-use status.
  • Social equity applicants and workers’ cooperatives aiming for priority or reserved license opportunities.
  • Applicants and licensees in areas identified as disproportionately impacted.
  • Consumers and patients indirectly through licensing and product quality standards.

Procedural and timeline aspects

  • Final issuance of regulations acts as a trigger for certain licensing moratoriums (two-year window for cultivators).
  • Augments timelines for social equity and retail licensing reform by requiring new application windows within 60 days of the act’s effective date.
  • Fees: annual social equity fund payments for retailers ($30,000) and for cultivators/other licensees via annual dues; application fees to be determined by the commission.
  • The act takes effect upon passage.

overall, SB 3313 retools Rhode Island’s cannabis regulatory structure to emphasize social equity, creates structured licensing quotas with reserved seats for cooperatives and equity applicants, and reopens processes to ensure alignment with current policy goals.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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