Bill > H8414

This bill, effective August 1, 2026, allows licensed liquor retailers, cannabis retailers, or hemp consumable retailers that have obtained a special "infused-beverage endorsement" from the cannabis control commission to sell THC-infused beverages at retail. The bill amends existing laws to clarify that the Department of Business Regulation (DBR) will primarily regulate hemp, while the manufacture, distribution, sale, and service of THC-infused beverages will be governed by a new chapter specifically for these products. This new chapter, the "Rhode Island Hemp THC Beverage Act," defines key terms like "THC-infused beverage" (a non-alcoholic drink with a maximum of 5 mg of hemp-derived THC per container), "artificially-derived cannabinoid," and "independent testing laboratory," and establishes comprehensive regulations for their sale, including dosage limitations, strict labeling requirements with warning statements, age verification for purchasers (21 and older), and prohibitions against marketing that appeals to minors or imitates alcoholic beverages. It also outlines a framework for licensing, endorsement fees, taxes, and enforcement, creating a dedicated fund for the administration and enforcement of these new regulations.

Business and Industry

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