Rhode Island dispensary owner fears Massachusetts’ recreational cannabis

Be at the forefront of cannabis and psychedelics science and innovation. Register by March 14 & Save $100 on tickets to The Emerald Conference by MJBiz Science, April 1-3 in San Diego.


At least one of Rhode Island’s three medical cannabis dispensary chiefs is afraid the launch of the Massachusetts recreational market will be the death of his business.

Seth Bock – the CEO of Greenleaf Compassionate Care Center in Portsmouth – told a Rhode Island legislative committee that unless officials make changes to the MMJ program, he believes many of the roughly 19,000 registered patients will opt to shop across state lines instead of renewing their medical cards.

Bock told the panel that many Rhode Island MMJ patients may take the attitude of “saying you know what, I don’t want my name on a list,” the Providence Journal reported.

Bock said he’s worried his dispensary may be out of business within the next two years if that’s what happens.

He suggested the legislature change the state law that requires MMJ patients to renew their registration every three years instead of annually as an incentive to continue shopping in-state.

However, Rhode Island’s MMJ czar told the panel last week he’s not worried about patients choosing Massachusetts rec over local dispensaries, “in part because medical dispensaries offer some forms of the drug that aren’t used recreationally,” the Journal reported.