Recreational CT Marijuana Passes Crucial Vote

HARTFORD, CT — A recreational marijuana legalization bill passed a crucial vote Monday. The bill passed a committee vote 10-8. The news comes on the same day that New Jersey cancelled a vote on a recreational marijuana bill after it became clear there wasn't enough support for it.

The bill is one of three that would lead to the legalization and regulation of recreational marijuana in Connecticut. The bill that passed committee Monday includes a section about “equity applicants,” who would be able to apply for cultivation, manufacture and dispensary licenses before the general public. It includes members from communities disproportionately impacted by high arrest rates and convictions for marijuana possession and those with a prior conviction for possession of marijuana.

Some Republicans on the General Law Committee had issues with placing people who broke a law above law-abiding citizens, according to the CT Mirror. Sen. Steve Witkos (R-Canton) said Clinton and Granby were among the communities most affected by marijuana arrests.

Others on the committee said it would help make up for decades of impact the War on Drugs had on the minority community.

Current cultivators, manufacturers and retailers of medical marijuana would get the first chance to apply for licenses.

The basic outline would make it legal for adults 21-years-old and older to possess 1.5 ounces of marijuana for recreational use. Another bill has more to do with taxation of marijuana and a bill before the Judicial Committee would allow those with convictions for possession of marijuana to get their records erased. The bills will likely end up as one before a General Assembly vote.

Legalization would differ from Massachusetts in terms of getting sales up to speed. Massachusetts had about a two year lag time between legalization and sales. The draft bill would allow the Department of Consumer Protection to propose regulations that would have to be approved by the governor to allow current medical marijuana retailers to sell recreationally on a temporary basis until the full roll out of the recreational regulation program.

The bill would also establish a Cannabis Commission that would study at-home cultivation and the potential for micro retailers. It would report its conclusions before the next legislative session in 2020.

Overall taxation would be about 20 percent, which is about what Massachusetts has, said State Rep. Jason Rojas (D-East Hartford) in a press conference announcing the three marijuana bills.
Connecticut would raise more than $45 million in tax revenue three years into legalization under a Massachusetts style tax plan, according to a 2017 Office of Fiscal Analysis report.

Medical patients would be allowed to get higher potency and a greater quantity than recreational purchasers.