CT House Democrats Make Big Push To Legalize Recreational Pot

CONNECTICUT — House Democrats will make a big push in the coming legislative session to legalize recreational marijuana. The perennial issue comes as a growing number of Connecticut’s neighbors are legalizing it.

“This has been an issue now for about six years and every year we seem to get a little closer to putting it over the goal line and it is a priority of House Democrats,” incoming House Speaker Matt Ritter said.

Most legalization efforts across the country have come in the form of direct ballot questions to voters. New Jersey voters approved legalizing recreational use by a more than two to one margin earlier this month. Massachusetts legalized it in 2016 after voters approved the ballot measure. The issue of legalization is also a perennial issue in New York and Rhode Island.

“You can just drive 40 miles away or 20 minutes away and purchase it,” Ritter said.

Gov. Ned Lamont voiced his support for legalizing recreational marijuana shortly after the election. He said he would want to work with neighboring states who have also legalized it to come up with a regional regulatory framework.

House Democratic leadership plans to put forth the bill early in the legislative session next year in an attempt to have legislators legalize it. Ritter predicted the vote in the House would be close despite Democrats holding a large majority of seats.

If a direct vote fails then Democrats will propose having Connecticut voters directly vote on it via a constitutional amendment, Ritter said.

“This is one issue where frankly the legislature is more conservative than Connecticut voters,” he said.

The issue wasn’t the most important in the coming legislative session, but it likely is the most nagging one, said State Rep. Jason Rojas, who is the incoming House majority leader.

“I think we need to have a bill that’s ready from day one so that we can go to our members who are a bit skeptical about this policy so that we can arm them with the best information possible,” he said.

That constitutional amendment process could take between two and four years depending on the vote margin among legislators, Ritter said.

The ballot question process is more cumbersome in Connecticut than other states since any direct voter question must come in the form of a constitutional amendment.

The question would appear on the 2022 ballot if three-fourths or more of legislators in both chambers approved the question. It would appear on the 2024 ballot if both chambers passed it by a simple majority in two consecutive years.

Tax revenue would likely be in the low tens of millions of dollars for Connecticut in the first couple of years after legalization and then expand from there, said Rep. Mike D’Agostino (D-Hamden).

“The foundation exists for adult use cannabis in Connecticut, The production facilities exit, the distribution facilities exist,” he said. “The regulatory structure exits, a bill is drafted from last session.

Legalization could happen by the end of 2021 if the Legislature passes it, D’Agostino said.