Recreational Marijuana Bill Proposed in Connecticut

A state representative has proposed a bill that would make recreational marijuana legal in Connecticut.

State Rep. Juan Candelaria (D-New Haven) proposed the bill. It would allow marijuana use for people over the age of 21 and would regulate the sale, possession, use and growth of the drug.

Candelaria sponsored a similar bill in the 2015 session, but it wasn’t passed.

Rhode Island and Massachusetts are currently considering similar legislation.

Medical marijuana was legalized in 2012 in Connecticut. Three new dispensaries are scheduled to open in the early summer, bringing the total number in the state to nine, according to the Hartford Courant.

Connecticut decriminalized small amounts of marijuana possession in 2011. Someone found with less than half an ounce is fined $150 for the first offense and $200 to $500 for subsequent offenses. Previously possession of less than half an ounce was a misdemeanor and was punishable by possible prison time.

Gov. Dannel Malloy pushed for decriminalization of small amounts of marijuana in his first term in an effort to make the judicial system more efficient. Malloy has said in the past that he isn’t ready to push for recreational legalization.

Medical marijuana can be prescribed for debilitating conditions including, cancer, glaucoma, HIV/AIDS, Parkinson’s and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder among others.

Recreational marijuana is currently legal in Washington state, Colorado, Alaska and Oregon. Nearly $1 billion in recreational marijuana was sold in Colorado during 2015, according to the Cannabist. The state collected more than $135 million in taxes and fees from its sale.

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