Rhode Island

Rhode Island House Panel Weighs Bill That Would Temporarily Legalize Psilocybin

Published

2 years ago

February 5, 2024

Rhode Island House Panel Weighs Bill That Would Temporarily Legalize Psilocybin

Lawmakers on Rhode Island’s House Judiciary Committee considered a bill on Thursday that would effectively legalize psilocybin mushrooms in the state, temporarily removing penalties around possession, home cultivation and sharing of psilocybin until mid-2026.

The proposal, H. 7047, from Rep. Brandon Potter (D), would not establish a commercial retail system around the psychedelic—at least until after federal reform is enacted. Until then, it would exempt up to an ounce of psilocybin from the state’s law against controlled substances provided that it “has been securely cultivated within a person’s residence for personal use” or is possessed by “one person or shared by one person to another.”

The measure is identical to a bill passed 56–11 by the House last year, though that matter did not move forward in the Senate before the end of the session.

“I don’t think it was that long ago that if you were to put a proposal like this forward, it would be thought of as very controversial,” Potter told the panel on Thursday. “But I think it’s become much more popularized and people are well aware of it, especially when you see just like the abundance and overwhelming amount of clinical research and medical science that is promoting the effects this has had on people.”

“These are not, you know, small, low-budget operations,” he added of emerging scientific research indicating the therapeutic potential of psilocybin. “These are leading medical institutions like Johns Hopkins and Yale and Stanford and so on and so forth—NYU, Columbia.”

Judiciary Committee members did not take formal action on the bill at Thursday’s hearing, instead receiving public testimony and asking several questions of Potter.

Rep. David J. Place (R) asked Potter why under the bill Rhode Island would wait for the Food and Drug Administration to take action on psilocybin before setting up state-level rules and regulations.

“Quite frankly, if it were up to me, we wouldn’t,” replied Potter. “But after a lengthy dialogue with the Department of Health, it was made clear to me that without looking for federal permission at some point, there wouldn’t be support for an eventual enactment of a controlled medical process of how this would be legally prescribed.”

“If I had carte blanche, and I was reading this bill exactly how I would like, it would be a matter of pure decriminalization,” the sponsor added. “But it was a matter of trying to balance the interest of the Department of Health with what ultimately is a drug decriminalization bill.”

Place asked Potter whether similar provisions were included around medical marijuana when state lawmakers adopted that reform. They were not.

One lawmaker, Rep. Thomas E. Noret (D), said he voted against last year’s bill and is planning to oppose the current bill, too.

“Drug-facilitated sexual assaults are on the increase, noted by the National Drug Intelligence Center,” he said, also pointing to a Brown University study “that says sexual assault and dating violence—90 percent of all campus rapes occur when alcohol is used—and/or drugs—by a victim or the assailant. So those are my objections to increasing that, and psilocybin is one of those listed on the report for the National Drug Center.”

It’s not entirely clear what national data Noret was referring to. The National Drug Intelligence Center was established as part of the Department of Justice in 1993, but it was dissolved more than a decade ago, in 2012.

Potter explained that his decriminalization-first approach is aimed at allowing people access to psilocybin without creating an environment that makes psychedelic-assisted treatment prohibitively expensive.

“Colorado and Oregon have already legalized this,” he said, “and one of the the really disheartening things that I’ve heard, especially out of Oregon, is…you have people who are paying between $5,000 and $10,000 for this treatment.”

“It becomes another doubling down of only people who are of a certain affluent level of income or privilege in that way actually have access to it,” he said. “I just personally didn’t want to double down on creating another framework for what is natural medicine to be withheld from people.”

The bill’s cosponsors include House Judiciary Committee Chairman Rep. Robert Craven (D) and eight other lawmakers aside from Potter.

When the House passed last year’s measure, Potter called it “a positive step toward addressing mental healthcare with modern, evidence-based policy and research.”

As for this year’s bill, the lawmaker told Marijuana Moment earlier this month that he’s hopeful the measure will make it to the Senate again and receive a hearing there.

After last year’s House vote, he said, “I had a lot of people reach out to me expressing great appreciation for passing the bill and sharing their personal stories with me about their use of psilocybin and how helpful it was for them.”

“I’m hopeful that with a Senate committee hearing this year, they’ll hear some of those voices,” he added, “and understand that there’s a number of people in Rhode Island that have already benefitted from this as a treatment, and in doing so they’ve broken the law.”

Also this week, the City Council in Providence gave formal approval to a plan to open the nation’s first state-regulated safe consumption site, where people can use drugs in a supervised environment and be connected with a suite of social support and recovery services.

Meanwhile, the state’s marijuana system marked its first full year of legal sales last month, with Gov. Dan McKee (D) saying the state is “proud of the careful execution that defined our entry into this industry.” Retailers sold more than $100 million worth of cannabis products during the first year of operation.

Industry advocates have listed four main changes they’d like to see to the state’s cannabis law in the year ahead, narrowing qualifications around social equity, expanding the social equity fund with tax revenue, waiving certain fees and offering provisional business licenses.

Regulators, meanwhile, have been seeking state and federal data to better define social equity eligibility.

DOJ Seeks White House Approval For Updated Marijuana Pardon Certificate Form Under Biden’s Expanded Proclamation

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia/Mushroom Observer.

Marijuana Moment is made possible with support from readers. If you rely on our cannabis advocacy journalism to stay informed, please consider a monthly Patreon pledge.

Source link

Rhode Island

3 RI teachers surprised with STEAM Educator Awards

Published

14 hours ago

November 18, 2025

Press Room

3 RI teachers surprised with STEAM Educator Awards

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — Three Rhode Island teachers have been recognized for sparking curiosity and creativity in their students through innovative and engaging lessons.

The R.I. Department of Education (RIDE) and the STEAM Center at Rhode Island College surprised the recipients of the 2025 RI STEAM Educator Awards on Tuesday. The annual awards honor educators who integrate Science, Technology, Engineering, Art + Design, and Mathematics into their classrooms.

This year’s honorees are Tiffany Risch of Coventry High School, Christopher Colson of Goff Middle School in Pawtucket and Erin Giuliano of Park Elementary School in Warwick.

Each educator received a $1,000 classroom grant and a $500 personal award, which were funded by the PPL Foundation and Rhode Island Energy.

According to RIDE, the awards are presented in memory of Carol Giuriceo, who served as the STEAM Center’s director for nearly a decade.

Education Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green attended Tuesday’s presentation to congratulate the elementary division’s recipient. Giuliano said it is a key personal priority to bring every element of STEAM into her second-grade classroom.

“We work on teamwork, perseverance, trying to act like engineers and solve problems,” Giuliano said. “It’s definitely a highlight of what I do as an educator and it teaches them so much I’ve seen them grow and learn so much from the activities we do.”

Erin Giuliano of Park Elementary School in Warwick named 2025 RI STEAM Educator of the Year. – Nov. 18, 2025 (WPRI-TV)
Erin Giuliano of Park Elementary School in Warwick named 2025 RI STEAM Educator of the Year. – Nov. 18, 2025 (WPRI-TV)
Erin Giuliano of Park Elementary School in Warwick named 2025 RI STEAM Educator of the Year. – Nov. 18, 2025 (WPRI-TV)

Download the WPRI 12 and Pinpoint Weather 12 apps to get breaking news and weather alerts.

Watch 12 News Now on WPRI.com or with the free WPRI 12+ TV app.

Follow us on social media:

Source link

Rhode Island

Meet the cast of ‘The Real Housewives of Rhode Island’

Published

1 day ago

November 18, 2025

Press Room

Andy Cohen announced the “Real Housewives of Rhode Island” cast — including a former local NBC news anchor, a URI alum, and a Cranston pizzeria co-owner.

Andy Cohen attends the PAC NYC Icons of Culture Gala at Perelman Performing Arts Center on Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2025, in New York. Evan Agostini/Invision/AP

A former local news anchor. A pizzeria co-owner. Rhody’s “Cannabis Queen.”

New England, meet your Real Housewives.

Executive producer/dedicated Deadhead/Anderson Cooper’s BFF Andy Cohen revealed the cast and trailer for the first-ever New England-based “Housewives” Nov. 16 at BravoCon.

Bravo announced the Rhody-set show in May. “The Real Housewives of Rhode Island” will premiere in 2026, with no specific date given. But, ’26 marks the 20th anniversary of the Real Housewives franchise.

The new trailer packages the Ocean State as a tiny, everybody-knows-everybody state full of secrets and drama. “Smallest state with the biggest attitude,” one cast member says in the official trailer, which debuted this weekend.

Rhode Island is “teeny. It’s a blip. But to us, it’s the center of the universe,” another cast member says.

The trailer is packed with all the shots you might expect— Newport mansions, polo games, tony beach shorelines, Adirondack chairs, sailboats in a harbor.

“Welcome to Rhode Island where nobody tells anybody the truth,” says a cast member, as we see, presumably, a Newport polo match. “Everybody just lies to each other’s faces and talks s*** behind their back.”

“It’s Rhode Island!” one cast member exclaims. “When someone says something, we all hear it!”

“You may not know Rhode Island, but here, secrets don’t stay buried for very long.”

It’s interspersed with classic Housewives drama and gossip (“Her husband’s a foot doctor, but I think he’s doing more than rubbing foot.”)

So pop the popcorn and grab coffee milk, reality fans. This looks juicier than a Del’s lemonade. (And yes, you’ll notice a shot of one cast member drinking a can of Narragansett’s Del’s Shandy.)

Meet the cast for the “Real Housewives of Rhode Island” premiere season:

— Early risers may recognize Rosie DiMare, a former local “news anchor/reporter.” A scroll through her Instagram shows her with NBC 10’s Mario Hilario with the caption, “It’s like we’re real professionals or something.” Looks like she was part of Turn to 10’s “Sunrise Crew.”

She’s “not afraid to call people out,” we’re told. We then see her on pink bouncing sneakers gossiping about someone’s affair.

— Alicia Carmody: “Welcome to Rhode Island, b****, this is how we roll,” she says from an Adirondack chair, talking to someone off-camera in the trailer. Carmondy and her fiancé, Billy Kitsilis, run his restaurant, Pizza Mamma in Cranston.
— Liz McGraw: the “dominant figurehead here,” we’re told in the trailer, as we see her in black leather boots driving a boat. (“I’m scary,” she tells the camera. “Boo.”) Per Bravo, McGraw is “Rhode Island royalty… the state’s very own Cannabis Queen.” With her husband, Gerry, she owns and operates The Slater Center, a pot dispensary in Providence.
—Ashley Iaconetti: she’s “not from here,” we’re told. “This is not the kind of people I’m usually around,” she says in the trailer. Iaconetti married Warwick, R.I. native Jared Haibon, on “Bachelor in Paradise,” and is now “acclimating to her new life in her husband’s home state,” per Bravo.
— Jo-Ellen Tiberi, who we’re told in the trailer “knows everything.” Per Bravo, “Self-proclaimed town gossip Jo-Ellen knows everyone and everything worth knowing in Cranston.” The “aesthetic practice development manager … juggles a busy career with family life” with her husband Gary and their three kids, per Bravo.
Advertisement

— Rulla Nehme Pontarelli: “She’s a boss,” we’re told in the trailer. Per Bravo, Pontarelli “helms a financial empire as a Certified Financial Planner and Wealth Manager to some of the East Coast’s most distinguished families.”
“I opened my own branch office, Royal One Financial Group, in the historic downtown area of Providence,” she says, per her website.
— Kelsey Swanson says in the trailer she’s not with a sugar daddy: “My boyfriend is, like, actually attractive. The money’s just a plus.” The former Miss Rhode Island and University of Rhode Island alum is now a makeup artist, her Bravo bio says.
“Kelsey has been in a 10-year relationship with one of Rhode Island’s most notable figures, enjoying the lap of luxury while keeping her social calendar full,” the bio notes, without naming her boyfriend.
Watch the full trailer here.
Advertisement

Lauren Daley is a freelance culture writer. She can be reached at [email protected]. She tweets @laurendaley1, and Instagrams at @laurendaley1. Read more stories on Facebook here.

Lauren Daley is a longtime culture journalist. As a regular contributor to Boston.com, she interviews A-list musicians, actors, authors and other major artists.

Sign up for the Today newsletter

Get everything you need to know to start your day, delivered right to your inbox every morning.

Source link

Rhode Island

RI Lottery Lucky For Life, Numbers Midday winning numbers for Nov. 16, 2025

Published

2 days ago

November 17, 2025

Press Room

The Rhode Island Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Nov. 16, 2025, results for each game:

Winning Lucky For Life numbers from Nov. 16 drawing

03-11-26-32-45, Lucky Ball: 02

Check Lucky For Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Numbers numbers from Nov. 16 drawing

Midday: 9-5-9-1

Evening: 8-1-4-7

Check Numbers payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Wild Money numbers from Nov. 16 drawing

01-04-09-12-25, Extra: 19

Check Wild Money payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your prize

Prizes less than $600 can be claimed at any Rhode Island Lottery Retailer. Prizes of $600 and above must be claimed at Lottery Headquarters, 1425 Pontiac Ave., Cranston, Rhode Island 02920.
Mega Millions and Powerball jackpot winners can decide on cash or annuity payment within 60 days after becoming entitled to the prize. The annuitized prize shall be paid in 30 graduated annual installments.
Winners of the Lucky for Life top prize of $1,000 a day for life and second prize of $25,000 a year for life can decide to collect the prize for a minimum of 20 years or take a lump sum cash payment.

When are the Rhode Island Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 10:59 p.m. ET on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 11:00 p.m. ET on Tuesday and Friday.
Lucky for Life: 10:30 p.m. ET daily.
Numbers (Midday): 1:30 p.m. ET daily.
Numbers (Evening): 7:29 p.m. ET daily.
Wild Money: 7:29 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Rhode Island editor. You can send feedback using this form.

Source link