Youth perception of harm can be lowered when these products are consumed openly in public spaces.”

Georgie Cranson, coordinator of the Portsmouth Prevention Coalition

PORTSMOUTH — The Town Council tackled a range of public health and transportation issues at its meeting last week, voting to schedule a hearing to update to its alcohol ordinance, approving an awareness display outside Town Hall, and backing a resolution in support of more funds for the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA).

Georgie Cranson, coordinator of the Portsmouth Prevention Coalition since October 2024, asked the council to consider amending the town’s alcohol ordinance to also address cannabis-infused (THC) beverages.

“These beverages are becoming more widely available in Rhode Island and without clear language in our ordinance, the enforcement becomes inconsistent and creates a loophole. So with that, youth perception of harm can be lowered when these products are consumed openly in public spaces,” Cranson said.

She noted a survey of Portsmouth liquor stores showed “three out of four of the liquor stores do sell these THC drinks and the ID-ing processes at these liquor stores is not as concrete as they are at the dispensaries, where there are multiple checkpoints where your ID has to be scanned. So, this is a concern for making youth access to these beverages easier.”

Cranson said the update would “help maintain a family-friendly community and is consistent with our prevention messaging. We’re asking the council to consider the update to ensure our local policy keeps pace with the evolving products and continues to protect the health and wellbeing of the Portsmouth community.”

Council President Keith Hamilton said he began noticing THC drinks in local liquor stores about six months ago.

Council members voiced support before voting unanimously to advertise a public hearing on the proposed ordinance amendment for Sept. 8.

“This would align our tobacco policy that we have (for public spaces) with our whole policy to include cannabis,” said council member Juan Carlos Payero.

Council member David Reise said he was surprised to learn THC beverages were available outside dispensaries. Town Solicitor Giovanni Cicione clarified, “There’s actually a separate license, I believe … where the liquor store can actually get a license to sell THC-infused beverages.”

Overdose awareness

In another unanimous vote, the council approved a request to place a temporary display in front of Town Hall to mark International Overdose Awareness Day on Aug. 31.

The display, scheduled for Aug. 25 to Sept. 2, will feature 329 individual flags, each representing a Rhode Islander lost to an opioid overdose in 2024, along with a banner honoring their memory.

Kathleen Brughelli, director of No Wrong Door, presented the request on behalf of the Newport County Prevention Coalition and No Wrong Door.

More RIPTA funding requested

The council also took up public transportation, unanimously approving a resolution in support of increased funding for the Rhode Island Public Transportation Authority (RIPTA).

The resolution was introduced by Payero, who warned of the potential consequences of the agency’s large budget shortfall. “It’s been forced by a $10 million budget deficit which will eliminate 58 of 63 bus routes, including our town’s park-and-ride,” he said. “This would be catastrophic for tens of thousands of Rhode Islanders throughout the state that rely on RIPTA day in and day out, and more especially those of us who use public transportation to get to school and to work. A reliable transportation system is fundamental to any modern society, especially for those who can’t afford a car.”

Payero added that losing routes would worsen “chronic traffic which we already experience on this island every morning, parking issues, and pollution issues.”

Hamilton noted that while the service cuts were recently tabled, the funding problem remains. He suggested the agency reduce the frequency of bus runs rather than cut entire routes.

“We all have to make sacrifices in our lives. If we took one or two of those things out and someone has to go to work a little early, we can close that budget gap,” he said. “(RIPTA) is going in with a chainsaw, rather than a scalpel. They’re just saying, ‘We’re gonna cut this route,’ so nobody from Burrillville is going to be able to take a bus to Providence, rather than saying you can get a bus from Burrillville to Providence eight times a day, instead of 12 that currently exist. We do have a lot of citizens who take the bus to Providence every day, or to Newport.”

Council Vice President David Gleason agreed, calling RIPTA another “state agency that may not be run properly.”

The council’s resolution will be forwarded to other municipalities and to the governor.

Next meetings

The Town Council will next meet at 7 p.m. on two Mondays: Aug. 25 and Sept. 8.