By Steve Klamkin WPRO News

A group advocating for legalization of marijuana in Rhode Island delivered hundreds of postcards to the Speaker of the House’s office, underscoring their call to legalize and regulate pot.

“We simply believe that as a part of state leaders’ agenda to improve Rhode Island’s economy that this is an obvious no-brainer,” said Jared Moffat, Director of the group Regulate Rhode Island.

“Regulating marijuana like alcohol would foster new businesses, generate new revenue and create new jobs here in our state as it has in Colorado,” said Moffat, citing the first state to legalize the sale of marijuana.

Backed by supporters, he brought what he said was a box filled with some 500 postcards from constituents of House Speaker Nicholas Mattiello’s Cranston district. He and the group delivered the cards to the Democratic leader’s State House office, and said a similar canvassing effort might be directed toward Senate President Teresa Paiva Weed’s Newport district.

The lead sponsor of the bill in the House, Rep. Scott Slater (D-Providence) said he had no assurances from leaders that the bill would be acted upon before the end of the legislative session, believed to be some time next week. But he pointed to Moffat’s claim that legalizing and regulating marijuana would provide an economic boost.

“The time is overdue, because the results in Colorado I think have been positive. We’ve seen a lot of benefits over there, the housing market is doing great and unemployment is very low,” said Slater.

Moffat also suggested that the state should legalize pot before its neighboring states.

“Rhode Island needs to get ahead of the curve before other states like Massachusetts, Vermont and Maine pass similar laws and attract new businesses to their state,” he said.