When it comes to Rhode Island government, it always seems a good idea to follow the money.
Rivers of cash are pouring into three medical marijuana dispensaries in the state — the Thomas C. Slater Compassion Center, in Providence; the Greenleaf Compassion Center, in Portsmouth; and the Summit Medical Compassion Center, in Warwick.
The three are expected to sell about $56 million worth of cannabis in fiscal 2019, says Norman Birenbaum, the state’s top marijuana regulator. That's a staggering 47 percent increase over the year before, driven in part by doctors over the state line issuing huge numbers of prescriptions.
There are now 18,200 licensed patients from Rhode Island, and about 6,000 out-of-state card holders have bought marijuana from the state's three dispensaries.
Yet members of the public (as distinct from regulators) cannot easily discern who is connected to whom in this mostly cash-based business, selling a drug that, under federal law, is still illegal.
Given that these centers make piles of money under the rubric of being nonprofits, the public should have ready access to whether state officials, their family members or political connections have financial interests in the facilities, including as landlords, contractors, consultants, suppliers and service providers.
Read more at providencejournal.com
