The Warren Town Council voted to amend the town’s zoning ordinance to permit retail cannabis sales by special use permit in business and rural-business districts, adding town-level restrictions it said are designed to limit traffic and nuisance impacts.

At the second reading Tuesday, town solicitor Tony DeSisto outlined a definition of “cannabis retailer” consistent with Rhode Island law and explained that the state, not the town, issues retail licenses. Blake Costa, a licensed operator who runs a dispensary and cultivation facility in Rhode Island, told the council that local controls — such as a cap on the number of sites, site-plan reviews, traffic studies and robust odor mitigation — are the best tools for protecting a small town’s character.

Residents who spoke during the public comment period raised concerns about federal illegality, traffic and public-safety effects. Maria Orsini, representing the War on Prevention Coalition, told the council some dispensaries have underperformed financially and emphasized impacts to public safety services.

Councilmember Derek Trombley moved to approve the ordinance with three key additions: a traffic study submitted with any site plan, state-of-the-art odor mitigation devices approved by the building official, and a one-mile separation between cannabis retailers (or an explicit cap on town-allowed locations). The council voted in favor by voice vote.

DeSisto said the changes operate through zoning, not through municipal licensing; a prospective retailer must still secure a state license through the Cannabis Control Commission and then obtain the town’s special use permit and any applicable development approvals. “The town can regulate where they locate; the state controls issuance of licenses,” he said.

Council members emphasized that limiting the number and placement of stores is intended to prevent clustering and undue traffic on narrow town roads. The council did not set a final numeric cap beyond the one-mile spacing language; members said the practical limit will be shaped by where sites qualify under zoning and the state license lottery.

The ordinance change is effective as ordinance amendments become effective under town rules; any individual dispensary still must secure state licensure and a zoning special-use permit before opening.