The New Shoreham Town Council held a public hearing on Monday, June 5, to consider whether or not to prohibit the use of cannabis in public places on Block Island. A year ago, the Rhode Island General Assembly approved the use of cannabis for recreational use. However, some aspects of its regulations were left up to cities and towns.Town Solicitor Nick Solitro told the council, “What the General Assembly left to cities and towns is crafting your own ordinances, if you choose to do so, with respect to consumption. Many cities and towns have taken up that opportunity and prohibited public consumption….This doesn’t affect in-home use or private use of marijuana, consistent with state law, but it would prohibit it, for all intents and purposes, in public places.”It wasn’t long before the council got mired in questions about what does, and does not constitute a public space. The ordinance, as drafted reads: “’Public place’ means any public property or place to which the public or a substantial group of persons has access, including, but is not limited to, any public park, public beach, public waterways, recreational fishing areas, public
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