Rhode Island Compassion Centers. And the winners are…

Complete with lottery balls and a blind-folded former FBI-guy official, 5 new Compassion Center applications were chosen by the RI Department of Business Regulation and the Office of Cannabis Regulation. Tension hung in the air, noticeable even to the ZOOM watchers. Silent with a few darting eyes from RI’s Cannabis Coordinator Matthew Santacroce revealed little about why, or what rumblings he might have heard from the audience. Griffiths maintained his balance while the minutes ticked by leaving him completely blindfolded, until he lifted the blindfold and seemed to hold onto the lottery tumbler during a short break in the action. A comic relief moment came at the very end when Santacroce read from his detailed directions that “I will now read the winners in each zone” – as he looked up and said, I just did that – so we’re good.

More than medical marijuana spots, these selected companies stand to benefit if the state expands to recreational marijuana use. The stakes were high. In the US, more than a quarter of dispensaries generate annual revenues of over $1 million. Many make much more than that. Salaries are good, jobs are secure.

Through mid-2021, 19,401 Rhode Islanders were medical marijuana patients, approximately 1.83% of the population.

The Medical Marijuana Program conducted the Compassion Center Lottery Selection for Qualified Applicants in Zones 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. Zone 6 will be conducted later due to a court case currently underway.  

Approval letters are sent out and applicants have to complete prerequisites for licenses to be issued. If applicants need more than 9 months they must get approval of the department.

Selected were:

Zone 1 – RMI Compassion Center, Inc.

Zone 2 – Pinnacle Compassion Center, Inc. 

Zone 3 – Green Wave Compassion Center, Inc.

Zone 4 – Solar Therapeutics Rhode Island, Inc.

Zone 5 – Plant Based Compassionate Care, Inc.

Zones are geographic boundaries:

Zone	Geographic Boundaries	Number of New Licenses Available in the Zone
1	Burrillville, Cumberland, Glocester, North Smithfield, Smithfield, and Woonsocket	1
2	Central Falls, Johnston, Lincoln, North Providence, and Providence	1
3	Coventry, Foster, Scituate, West Greenwich, and West Warwick	1
4	Cranston, East Greenwich, North Kingstown, and Warwick	1
5	Charlestown, Exeter, Hopkinton, Narragansett, Richmond, South Kingstown, and Westerly	1
6	Barrington, Bristol, East Providence, Jamestown, Little Compton, Middletown, Newport, New Shoreham, Pawtucket, Portsmouth, Tiverton, and Warren

There are currently 3 Compassion Centers in Rhode Island – in Providence, Warwick, and Portsmouth.

More information about this program in Rhode Island: https://dbr.ri.gov/divisions/medicalmarijuana/