Connecticut’s Legal Pot Dreams Up in Smoke if Gov. Malloy Has His Way

Gov. Dannel Malloy sharply criticized Massachusetts Thursday as the state’s marijuana legalization law went into effect.

Malloy said that social costs for drug treatments would likely cost more than the amount of money raised in tax revenue, according to the Hartford Courant. He said the issue shouldn't be taken up by the legislature in the next session.

He added that Massachusetts has a different tax structure than Colorado for marijuana and he suspects Connecticut's neighbor to the north won't be able to raise the same amount of money.
Colorado has raised more than $91 million in marijuana taxes, fees and licenses for the 2016-2017 fiscal year as October, according to the state's Department of Revenue.

Connecticut faces a projected $1.3 billion budget hole for the 2017-2018 fiscal year.

A 2015 Quinnipiac University poll found that 63 percent of voting adults in Connecticut supported legalizing small amounts of the drug for personal use.

Small amounts of marijuana were decriminalized in Connecticut during 2011. Malloy pushed for the measure as part of justice reform. Someone caught with less than half an ounce of marijuana can be fined $150 for their first offense.

Democratic New Haven State Rep. Juan Candelaria has pushed for legalizing marijuana in the past. Shortly after Massachusetts voters passed the referendum he said he would continue to push the measure during the 2017 session, according to CT News Junkie.

A spokesman for incoming House Speaker Joe Aresimowicz said that a recreational marijuana bill will get a full public hearing in the new session, according to WTNH's Mark Davis.

Candelaria said that Connecticut has an opportunity to beat Massachusetts to sales because Massachusetts won’t have licensed shops until at least early 2018.

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