PROVIDENCE -- Governor Raimondo on Tuesday said she's open to legalizing recreational marijuana either through legislation or a public referendum.

She stressed that the state should not rush into any decisions. But given the conversation swirling around the topic, Raimondo said she's sought input from officials in Colorado where voters legalized the drug in 2012.

"I could see Rhode Island eventually getting there. But I’m not in a rush because there are issues of safety, how do you regulate it, how do you keep it out of the hands of kids, especially the edibles," Raimondo said. "I think there probably are some economic advantages to being first, but I’d rather get it right."

A bill introduced by Rep. Scott Slater, D-Providence, proposes to legalize, tax and regulate recreational marijuana. The legislation has been introduced multiple years but has never cleared either the House or Senate.

Asked about the possibility of a referendum, Raimondo said, "I am open to that. It is a big decision. I could see the logic in saying it’s the kind of thing that people ought to have a say in … It doesn’t say I’m committed to it, but I’m open to it."

The governor made the remarks over a lunch meeting with reporters Tuesday.

She also addressed pushback on her plan to raise to $8.4 million in state revenue from new medical marijuana fees, saying that she's working on revisions. The proposal included in her 2017 budget would force private growers, called "caregivers" under state law, to pay for registration tags for each marijuana plant they grow. The tags would cost between $150 and $350 per plant.

"We’re looking at is it just too high? Because look, we don’t want to put a burden. This is medicine for people. We want to make sure that people who are in pain who need access to the medicine can have access to the medicine at a price they can afford," Raimondo said.

The governor added that she's also considering making the fees lower for caregivers who grow for themselves rather than those who grow to sell to other patients.

Medical marijuana patients have lashed out at the proposal, criticizing the plan as a tax on the sick.