Rhode Island General Laws Title 21. Food and Drugs § 21-28.11-13. Taxes

(a) The following taxes are imposed on the retail sale of adult use cannabis pursuant to the provisions of this chapter.

(b) The assessment, collection, and enforcement of the sales tax pursuant to § 44-18-18, the state cannabis excise tax, and the local cannabis excise tax shall be pursuant to the provisions of chapters 18 and 19 of title 44 and paid to the tax administrator by the retailer at the time and in the manner prescribed for sales tax in § 44-19-10.  The retailer shall add the taxes imposed by this chapter to the sales price or charge, and when added, the taxes constitute a part of the price or charge, is a debt from the consumer or user to the state, and is recoverable at law in the same manner as other debts.

(c) All sums received by the division of taxation under this section as local cannabis excise tax or associated amounts as penalties, forfeitures, interest, costs of suit, and fines for failure to timely report or pay the local cannabis excise tax shall be distributed at least quarterly and credited and paid by the state treasurer to the city or town where the cannabis is delivered.

(d) There is created within the general fund a restricted receipt account known as the “marijuana trust fund.”  Revenue collected from the state cannabis excise tax or associated amounts as penalties, forfeitures, interest, costs of suit, and fines for failure to timely report or pay the state cannabis excise tax shall be deposited into this account and used to fund programs and activities related to program administration;  revenue collection and enforcement;  substance use disorder prevention for adults and youth;  education and public awareness campaigns, including awareness campaigns relating to driving under the influence of cannabis;  treatment and recovery support services;  public health monitoring, research, data collection, and surveillance;  law enforcement training and technology improvements, including grants to local law enforcement;  and such other related uses that may be deemed necessary.

(e) Revenue collected from the sales tax shall be deposited into the general fund.

(f) The budget officer is hereby authorized to create restricted receipt accounts entitled “marijuana trust fund allocation” in any department or agency of state government wherein monies from the marijuana trust fund are appropriated by the general assembly for the programmatic purposes set forth in subsection (d) of this section.