| RIPAC |
Medical marijuana advocates are calling on Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chafee to open cannabis dispensaries allowed under state law. The governor blocked opening of the shops due to the threat of federal prosecution after receiving one of the threatening letters recently sent by U.S. Attorneys in medical marijuana states.
A Statehouse protest is planned for Tuesday by the Rhode Island Patient Advocacy Coalition (RIPAC) to urge Governor Chafee to allow three dispensaries to open, reports The Associated Press.
The state selected three shops to dispense cannabis under Rhode Island’s medical marijuana law. Chafee last spring suspended the plans to open the shops after federal prosecutors warned that dispensary personnel could face prosecution for violating federal marijuana laws.
Many Rhode Islanders who want safe and reliable access to marijuana to treat medical conditions are anxiously awaiting for the dispensaries to open, according to RIPAC Executive Director JoAnne Leppanen.