Marijuana Policy Project

On Tuesday, November 6, Rhode Island voters will decide who will represent them in the state legislature. To educate voters, MPP has compiled information about the candidates’ positions on marijuana policy reform.

To learn the positions of candidates for state Senate and House of Representatives, MPP sent surveys asking candidates to respond “agree,” “disagree,” or “unsure/undecided” to the following three statements:

1. I support Rhode Island’s law allowing patients with multiple sclerosis, cancer, HIV/AIDS, and other serious illnesses to use and purchase marijuana without fear of criminal sanction if such treatment course is recommended by the patient’s physician.

2. Marijuana prohibition should be replaced by a system of regulation and taxation, with common-sense restrictions on sales and advertising. Marijuana prohibition gives control of a lucrative market to cartels, gangs, and criminals while diverting law enforcement resources away from preventing and solving violent and property crimes. It also results in over-incarceration of youths and minorities and deprives the state of needed tax revenues.

3. Given that 99% of marijuana arrests are made by state and local law enforcement, marijuana policy should be determined at the state level, not by the federal government.

Unfortunately, we did not receive a lot of responses to the surveys. However, as a service to our supporters, we have used a mixture of candidate surveys, votes on previous legislation, and previous bill sponsorship to compile useful information on candidates in contested general election races. Allowing adults 21 and older to possess and grow limited amounts of marijuana and allowing its sale through taxed and regulated entities is our main legislative goal in Rhode Island for the upcoming years ("taxation and regulation legislation," for short). So, we have highlighted past votes against decriminalization, as a candidate voting against decriminalization is also likely to vote against taxation and regulation. We’ve also noted past sponsors of taxation and regulation legislation, as well as the votes of those in tightly-contested races.

The Rhode Island Senate

• Sen. Juan Pichardo (D-2): Co-sponsored taxation and regulation legislation in 2011.

• Sen. Harold Metts (D-6): Co-sponsored taxation and regulation legislation in 2011.

• Sen. Michael Pinga (D-9): Voted against decriminalization in 2012.

• Paul Caianiello (R-9): Responded to MPP’s survey indicating “agree” on questions (1) and (3), but checked “disagree” in response to the question about taxation and regulation. Comment: “Decriminalization, not taxation."

• Sen. Edward O'Neill (I-17): Voted against decriminalization in 2012.

• Sen. Roger Picard (D-20): Voted against decriminalization in 2012. 

• Marc Cote (D-24): Voted against decriminalization in 2012.

• Sen. Joshua Miller (D-28): Co-sponsored taxation and regulation legislation in 2011 and 2012; prime sponsor of decriminalization legislation in 2012; responded to MPP's survey indicating "agree" on all three questions.

• Sen. William Walaska (D-30): Responded to MPP's survey indicating "agree" on all three questions.

• Sen. David Bates (R-32): Voted against decriminalization in 2012.

• Sen. Glenford Shibley (R-33): Voted against decriminalization in 2012.

• V. Susan Sosnowski (D-37): Co-sponsored taxation and regulation legislation in 2011.

• John Lindholm (R-37): Responded to MPP’s survey indicating “agree” on questions (1) and (2), but checked “unsure” in response to the question about marijuana policy being decided at the state rather than the federal level. Comment: “1) State licensed compassion centers should not be under threat of federal close down. 2) Differing state-to-state policy is confusing. 3) Putting people in jail for small amounts of possession makes no sense.”

The Rhode Island House of Representatives

• Rep. Edith Ajello (D-1): Prime sponsor of taxation and regulation legislation in 2012; responded to MPP's survey indicating "agree" on all three questions.

• Rep. Christopher Blazejewski (D-2): Co-sponsored taxation and regulation legislation in 2012.

• Dirk J. Hennessey (D-2): Responded to MPP's survey indicating "agree" on all three questions.

• Speaker Gordon Fox (D-4): Speaker Fox has long supported marijuana policy reform. As Speaker, he voted "yes" on marijuana decriminalization on the House floor and "yes" on a positive compassion center bill. As Majority Leader, he voted "yes" on medical marijuana and "yes" on dispensaries, as well as voting to override then-Gov. Carcieri's veto of both bills.

• Mark Binder (I-4): Mr. Binder did not reply to our survey.

• Rep. Raymond Hull (D-6): Voted against decriminalization in 2012.

• John J. Lombardi (D-8): Responded to MPP's survey indicating "agree" on all three questions.

• Rep. Scott Slater (D-10): Co-sponsored taxation and regulation legislation in 2012.

• Rep. Grace Diaz (D-11): Responded to MPP's survey indicating "agree" on all three questions. Comment: "I was a co-sponsor of the medical marijuana bill and support its goals to help patients with chronic conditions."

• Joseph S. Almeida, Jr. (D-12): Responded to MPP's survey indicating "agree" on all three questions.

• Rep. John Carnevale (D-13): Voted against decriminalization in 2012.

• Rep. Arthur Handy (D-18): Responded to MPP's survey indicating "agree" on all three questions.

• Rep. David Bennett (D-20): Responded to MPP's survey indicating "agree" on all three questions.

• Rep. Robert Flaherty (D-23): Voted against decriminalization in 2012.

• Rep. Joseph Trillo (R-24): Voted against decriminalization in 2012.

• Rep. Patricia Morgan (R-26): Voted against decriminalization in 2012.

• Rep. Scott Guthrie (D-28): Responded to MPP's survey indicating "agree" on all three questions.

• Rep. Lisa Tomasso (D-29): Voted against decriminalization in 2012.

• Rep. Doreen Costa (R-31): Voted against decriminalization in 2012.

• Rep. Laurence Ehrhardt (R-32): Voted against decriminalization in 2012.

• Rep. Spencer Dickinson (D-35): Voted against decriminalization in 2012.

• Rep. Donna Walsh (D-36): Responded to MPP's survey indicating "agree" on all three questions.

• Rep. Samuel Azzinaro (D-37): Voted against decriminalization in 2012.

• Rep. Larry Valencia (D-39): Co-sponsored taxation and regulation legislation in 2012; responded to MPP's survey indicating "agree" on all three questions.

• Rep. Michael Chippendale (R-40): Responded to MPP's survey indicating "agree" on all three questions. Comment: “I am a sufferer of Crohn’s Disease and Muscular Dystrophy. While my type of MD does not allow me to use any sort of smoking, I still support its medical use for certain afflictions as I have learned from many patients in the support groups I attend that marijuana use absolutely helps ease the detrimental impact of these diseases – especially the nausea which is a constant part the lives of Crohn’s sufferers. I also supported and still support the decriminalization of small amounts of personal use marijuana. I spoke with many retired correctional officers and police officers, and while on-the-job officers will fight against decriminalization, those who are retired will state vehemently that marijuana arrests for small use are a waste of police time, court time, and corrections time – and that translates directly to a waste of money in all of those areas.”

• Rep. Jeremiah O'Grady (D-46): Co-sponsored taxation and regulation legislation in 2012.

• Rep. Cale Keable (D-47): Rep. Keable voted "yes" on marijuana decriminalization on the House floor and "yes" on a positive compassion center bill.

• Donald Fox (R-47): Mr. Fox did not return our survey.

• Rep. Brian Newberry (R-48): Co-sponsored taxation and regulation legislation in 2012.

• Rep. Lisa Baldelli-Hunt (D-49): Voted against decriminalization in 2012.

• Michael Moniz (I-49): Responded to MPP's survey indicating "agree" on all three questions.

• Rep. Robert Phillips (D-51): Voted against decriminalization in 2012.

• Rep. Karen Macbeth (D-52): Voted against decriminalization in 2012.

• Rep. Arthur Corvese (D-55): Voted against decriminalization in 2012.

• Rep. James McLaughlin (D-57): Voted against decriminalization in 2012.

• Rep. Raymond Johnston, Jr. (D-61): Voted against decriminalization in 2012.

• Rep. Mary Messier (D-62): Responded to MPP's survey indicating "agree" on all three questions.

• Rep. Jan Malik (D-67): Voted against decriminalization in 2012.

• Rep. John 'Jay' G. Edwards IV (D-70): Prime sponsor of decriminalization legislation in 2012; responded to MPP's survey indicating "agree" on all three questions.

• John Perkins, Jr. (I-70): Mr. Perkins did not return our survey.