Rhode Island
Rhode Island Bill Would Allow Psilocybin Cultivation, Possession Under 1 Ounce | High Times
Several states across the U.S. are forging ahead with their respective psilocybin reform programs, largely embracing policy changes around possession and cultivation while working to implement therapeutic practices involving the “magic mushroom” compound.
And kicking off the new year, more states are looking to join those ranks. Most recently, Rhode Island Rep. Brandon Potter (D) introduced his proposal — described in his own words as a decriminalization model — with a number of details standing apart from reform measures that have already been enacted.
Rhode Island’s Newest Bid for Psilocybin Reform
The bill, H 7047, would remove penalties around possession, home cultivation and sharing of one ounce or less of psilocybin. The bill specifically notes exemptions for psilocybin, so long as it is “in possession of one person or shared by one person to another” and that psilocybin “has been secretly cultivated within a person’s residence for personal use.” The bill would not work to establish a psilocybin retail system, though that could shift along with broader policy.
The bill also leaves room for potential evolution in federal law, namely if psilocybin ends up being rescheduled on the Drug Enforcement Agency’s (DEA) Controlled Substances Act (CSA). The compound is currently classified as a Schedule I controlled substance.
The measure suggests that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), referred to incorrectly in some of the bill’s language as the “Federal Drug Administration,” would be the authority responsible for rescheduling psilocybin, though this is typically a job of the DEA. The FDA, however, has the ability to approve specific pharmaceutical drugs.
The bill notes that provisions could shift, should federal access to psilocybin expand to include “patients with a serious or life-threatening mental or behavioral health disorder, who are without access to effective mental or behavioral health medication.” In that case, the bill references that psilocybin could be available in the state in locations approved by the Rhode Island Department of Health.
Another notable distinction is the temporary nature of the bill, which would take effect on July 1, 2024 and sunset on July 1, 2026.
Prior to this date, the attorney general would need to provide a report to the speaker of the house and the president of the Senate, providing data on the number of violations issued for psilocybin possession, cultivation and distribution. The director of the Department of Health would also be required to provide a report to the same parties surrounding the scheduling of psilocybin and “permitted use for the treatment of mental or behavioral health disorders.”
While the bill has a number of specific differences from many that have already been enacted, this is by design according to Potter. In an interview with Marijuana Moment, he said that the bill is meant to provide more flexible accessibility for those who may benefit from the effects of psilocybin.
Increasing Access to Psychedelic Medicine
Potter said that legalizing noncommercial growing and sharing of psilocybin would allow for greater access of those in need, adding, “the last thing I wanted to do was create a legalization model that would make it highly regulated and restrict access to people who actually need it.”
While other states have similarly prohibited penalties surrounding possession and cultivation of psilocybin mushrooms, therapeutic access — or working specifically with mental health professionals through guided psilocybin counseling — largely presents an accessibility issue for many citizens.
In Oregon for example, there were an estimated 3,000 people on a waitlist for the state’s first legal and operating psilocybin center as of September 2023. These experiences can also exceed more than $2,000, as reported by AP News, and while patients don’t need a prescription or referral, their insurance will not cover those expenses.
Potter referenced that the price of psilocybin services can be even higher, reaching up to $10,000. He also nodded to the shortage of behavioral healthcare providers in Rhode Island who are already “so squeezed by the private insurance system” that they only take patients paying out of pocket, adding that he does not want to “exacerbate that issue.”
Potter also noted that he does not want the initiative to be driven by money, specifying that the bill is about creating additional options for those in need, “not creating a new industry for the state at the expense of people’s care.”
According to the representative, decriminalization is the primary aim, though he also wanted to eventually allow doctors in the state to recommend psilocybin to patients.
A similar bill, H 5923, was passed in the Rhode Island House of Representatives last year, though it did not progress to the Senate. Potter said he’s hopeful this measure will make it to the Senate, receive a hearing and that the committee will “understand that there’s a number of people in Rhode Island that have already benefited from this as a treatment, and in doing so they’ve broken the law.”
Today marks forty-eight years since the historical storm and the iconic shirt’s first appearance.
Photograph courtesy of the Rhode Island Historical Society
On the morning of Monday, Feb. 6, 1978, snow began falling in Rhode Island and didn’t stop until the following night. Residents woke up on Wednesday to find as many as thirty-eight inches had fallen, by official counts (though some residents reported more than four feet in the northern areas of the state). Cars were abandoned, hospital waiting rooms became shelters, and on Providence’s College Hill, Angell Street was turned into a ski jump. At the State House, Governor J. Joseph Garrahy hunkered down with his staff at the Civil Defense headquarters, eschewing the traditional suit and tie in favor of a red flannel shirt. For several days, he appeared on television broadcasts wearing the red button-down, urging residents to stay home and check on their neighbors — forever cementing his image as the flannel-wearing governor of the people. After the storm, aides mounted the shirt together with “blizzard supplies,” and the Rhode Island Press Club formally presented it to Garrahy during a “Governor’s Night” event later that year. In 2000, he donated it to the Rhode Island Historical Society, where it remains in storage at the John Brown House Museum. Richard Ring, senior director of library and museum collections, says the society also maintains a copy of the diary of William Geffner, former assistant controller at Rhode Island Hospital, who detailed the events of the blizzard at the institution. “We’re always interested in firsthand accounts of historical things,” he says. Ring lived through the storm as a child growing up in Ohio, where the drifts supplied easy building blocks for massive snow forts. This month marks forty-eight years since the Blizzard of ’78.
Flames could be seen shooting from the roof of the iconic Castle Hill Inn in Newport, Rhode Island, late Thursday night.
The president and CEO of the Newport Restaurant Group, Mick Lamond, confirmed in a statement posted to Facebook that there was a fire at Castle Hill Inn, and first responders were on property actively working to put the fire out.
All guests and staff were evacuated safely, he added. There was no word on any injuries.
The Newport Fire Department tells NBC10 Boston affiliate WJAR that firefighters responded around 9:33 p.m. for the fire, with flames and smoke visible on arrival. Video obtained by WJAR shows that the smoke could be seen from the Newport Bridge.
It’s unclear what caused the fire at 590 Ocean Drive, or how much damage has been caused to the seaside resort.
Castle Hill bills itself as one of the premier luxury inns in Newport that offers oceanfront suites, beach cottages, fine dining and unmatched coastal elegance. It had just reopened for dining and lodging at noon last Friday, following their annual winter hiatus from Jan. 4 through Jan. 30.
Rhode Island
R.I. Senate confirms former majority leader McCaffrey as state judge – The Boston Globe
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Mathew L. LaMountain, a Warwick Democrat, spoke in support of McCaffrey’s nomination.
“Mr. McCaffrey possesses the experience, the temperament, and the devotion to public service that we seek in our judges,” LaMountain said. “Over the course of his time in the General Assembly, I believe he did more to advance criminal justice reform in the state of Rhode Island than any other single individual who has ever served in these halls.”
Senator Jake Bissaillon, a Providence Democrat and former Senate chief of staff, seconded McCaffrey’s nomination, emphasizing that he spent the bulk of his career as an attorney practicing in District Court. “Despite rumors and innuendo, Michael’s experience most directly aligns with the needs of our justice system in Rhode Island’s District Court,” he said.
Bissaillon said that when McCaffrey chaired the Senate Judiciary Committee, he played a key role in creating a veterans treatment court, which connects veterans facing criminal charges with counseling and treatment. And as majority leader, McCaffrey was instrumental in establishing and funding the District Court’s mental health calendar, he said.
“ In between 2011 and 2022, Michael’s work on criminal justice reform was second to none in his chamber,” Bissaillon said.
Senator Dawn Euer, a Newport Democrat, voted against McCaffrey’s nomination, saying his appointment was “a return to politics as usual, where connections matter more than merit and transparency.”
“Unfortunately, his appointment underscores a hard truth: historic efforts to create a merit-based judicial selection system are failing,” she said.
Euer emphasized that state courts wield immense power over daily life, deciding who stays housed through eviction calendars, who is protected through restraining orders, and who can vote.
“The integrity and independence of those courts cannot be treated as a political afterthought, and appointments should not be treated as a political bargaining chip,” she said. “As we face attacks on rule of law, democracy, and civil rights at the federal level, our state courts will be the frontlines protecting Rhode Islanders.”
Senator Samuel W. Bell, a Providence Democrat, voted for McCaffrey’s nomination although he had voted against McCaffrey as a Senate leader in the past because of his conservative views on abortion, LGBTQ rights, and guns.
Bell suggested that McCaffrey’s views on those issues have evolved over time, and he said, “There are two areas where he has always had solid progressive views, even when the rest of his views were much more conservative, and those just happen to be criminal justice and civil law.”
Bell said many of his constituents are concerned McCaffrey could some day become a Rhode Island Supreme Court justice. “It was very important to my constituents that when we get a Supreme Court nominee, they not only be willing to express support for LGBTQ rights and abortion rights, but actually be willing to demonstrate (that support).”
Besides Euer, those voting against McCaffrey were Democratic Senators Jonathon Acosta of Central Falls, Meghan E. Kallman of Pawtucket, Tiara T. Mack of Providence, Linda L. Ujifusa of Portsmouth, Bridget Valverde of North Kingstown, Lammis J. Vargas of Cranston, and Samuel D. Zurier of Providence.
Senator Walter S. Felag Jr., a Warren Democrat, recused himself from the vote because McCaffrey has represented him as an attorney. Senators Ryan W. Pearson, a Cumberland Democrat, and Senator Victoria Gu, a Westerly Democrat, were not present for the vote.
On Jan. 28, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted 13 to 1 to recommend McCaffrey’s confirmation, with Euer casting the lone “no” vote.
In 2022, McCaffrey announced he would not seek reelection after 28 years in the Senate. At the time, he was seen as a potential successor to then-Senate President Dominick J. Ruggerio, who died in April.
McCaffrey served as Senate Judiciary Committee chairman before becoming Senate majority leader. He has been a practicing lawyer since 1989 and is now a partner in the McCaffrey & McCaffrey law firm in Warwick.
By a vote of 35 to 1, the Senate also confirmed Shannon G. Signore for the state Superior Court seat left vacant by the retirement of Judge Daniel A. Procaccini. Senator Tiara Mack, a Providence Democrat, cast the lone “no” vote.
Signore has worked in the state attorney general’s office since 2002, and is now an assistant attorney general in the Special Victims Unit. She was a 2016 Beau Biden Foundation Fellow, and was recognized with the Crime Victim Service Award in 2019.
By a vote of 36 to 0, the Senate confirmed the nomination of Family Court Magistrate Alberto Aponte Cardona Sr. for the Family Court judgeship left vacant by the retirement of Judge Patricia K. Asquith.
Cardona was the first Latino appointed to the Family Court bench in 2019, and previously served as commissioner of the Rhode Island Commission for Human Rights. He was an associate justice in the Central Falls Municipal Court.
By a vote of 35 to 1, the Senate also confirmed the nomination of Family Court Magistrate Andrea Iannazzi for the Family Court judgeship left vacant by the retirement of Judge Debra E. DiSegna. Senator Samuel W. Bell, a Providence Democrat, cast the lone “no” vote.
Iannazzi has been presiding over domestic, child welfare, juvenile justice, and child support cases. She previously worked as a staff lawyer and mediator in the Rhode Island Family Court system, and served on the Cranston School Committee for a decade. She was deputy executive counsel to former governor Gina M. Raimondo.
Edward Fitzpatrick can be reached at edward.fitzpatrick@globe.com. Follow him @FitzProv.
Backers say copays for rich will protect New Mexico universal child care
ECU Health unveils North Carolina’s first pediatric medical transport helicopter
North Dakota health leaders see new funding as turning point for rural patients
Ex-Ohio State player charged in girlfriend’s murder after body found in Tennessee
Deacon Schmitt’s Spring Could Signal a Stronger Offensive Line for Oklahoma
Florida High School Football Rankings: Top 25 teams – Oct. 21
Cleary's 21 help Le Moyne down Central Connecticut State 69-64 in OT
How old is Bo Nix? What to know about Oregon quarterback ahead of 2024 NFL Draft
99th annual Pony Swim held in Virginia
Indiana Members Credit Union announced as new anchor tenant at Bottleworks District
Fox News Campus Radicals Newsletter: Top teachers’ union under fire, anti-ICE agitator network exposed
‘Regime change in Iran should come from within,’ former Israel PM says
Virginia Democrats unveil a redistricting map that would aim to give them 4 more US House seats | CNN Politics
Hegseth says US strikes force some cartel leaders to halt drug operations
Senior Russian officer shot in Moscow in apparent assassination attempt
-
Indiana5 days ago13-year-old rider dies following incident at northwest Indiana BMX park
-
Massachusetts6 days agoTV star fisherman, crew all presumed dead after boat sinks off Massachusetts coast
-
Tennessee7 days agoUPDATE: Ohio woman charged in shooting death of West TN deputy
-
Indiana4 days ago13-year-old boy dies in BMX accident, officials, Steel Wheels BMX says
-
Politics1 week agoVirginia Democrats seek dozens of new tax hikes, including on dog walking and dry cleaning
-
Politics3 days agoTrump unveils new rendering of sprawling White House ballroom project
-
Austin, TX1 week ago
TEA is on board with almost all of Austin ISD’s turnaround plans
-
Texas6 days agoLive results: Texas state Senate runoff
