Bans advertising of cannabis and cannabis products on any medium that may be visible to minors.

Rhode Island Cannabis Advertising Bill: Plain-English Summary

This bill would place new restrictions on how cannabis businesses in Rhode Island can advertise their products. Specifically, it would ban cannabis advertising on any platform or medium where minors — people under 21 — might be able to see it. This could potentially affect a wide range of advertising channels, including billboards, websites, social media, television, radio, print publications, and other outlets that are not exclusively accessed by adults.

The bill would most directly affect cannabis retailers, dispensaries, and other businesses licensed under Rhode Island's Cannabis Act that currently use advertising to promote their products. These businesses would need to either significantly limit where they advertise or stop advertising in certain places altogether if those spaces could reasonably reach a younger audience. Given how broadly accessible most modern media is, this could represent a substantial change to how cannabis businesses currently market themselves.

Everyday Rhode Island residents, particularly parents and families, may be interested in this bill as an effort to limit young people's exposure to cannabis marketing. At the same time, cannabis business owners may be concerned about how broadly the term "visible to minors" could be interpreted and enforced, since many common advertising platforms — like the internet or outdoor signage — are accessible to people of all ages.

Currently, the bill has been referred to the House Corporations Committee and recommended for further study, meaning lawmakers are still reviewing it and no final decision has been made.