Ganim: Time To Legalize Recreational Marijuana In CT

BRIDGEPORT, CT — Bridgeport mayor and Democratic governor candidate Joe Ganim urged the General Assembly to legalize recreational marijuana use this legislative session.

“A legal regulated recreational marijuana industry would launch a new industry in Connecticut, create thousands of new jobs, and produce hundreds of millions of needed annual tax revenue for the state," he said. "It is time we treated and regulated marijuana the same way we treat alcohol or tobacco."

Ganim noted that the New England region is moving towards legalizing recreational marijuana.

Colorado, the first state to legalize recreational use has generated more than $210 million in tax revenue since 2015 along with 20,000 jobs.

Connecticut has decriminalized possession of small amounts of marijuana and regulated medical marijuana is available for a variety of ailments.

"If you are buying marijuana in the thriving black market, you really don't know what you are getting," he said during testimony to the General Assembly. "It could be laced with all kinds of chemicals or other harmful drugs that you don't even know what you are ingesting."

Image via City of Bridgeport