Following a recent poll conducted by the Institute for Public Policy at Sacred Heart University (SHU) of Fairfield, Connecticut state lawmakers are working to advance legislation that would legalize the recreational use of cannabis.
The SHU poll asked 1,000 residents of the state about many topics, one being cannabis legalization, and it determined 64 percent of respondents support legalization of both cannabis use and possession, while just 18 percent of respondents oppose legalization. Additionally, the poll shows 76.3 percent of residents believe cannabis had fewer effects on people than “hard” drugs.
Connecticut has a medical cannabis program that was first enacted in 2012, and calls for legalization of cannabis for adult-use have only increased over time.
The leader of the legalization effort is House Majority Leader Jason Rojas, who has promoted a reform bill which appears to also have the support of Governor Lamont’s administration. The issue now is competing reform bills from the governor and lawmakers, and there is still the issue of addressing social equity in a legalization bill.
Time is running short with the end of the session approaching on June 9, and missing the deadline would require coming back to tackle the issue in a special session.
“We really have to see some of the sticking points around the equity, around expungement, around members of the community that have been impacted by this war on drugs, having access to seed-to-sale, economic opportunity and also home grow[ing],” Representative Anne Hughes, cochair of the Progressive Caucus, told Marijuana Moment. “We either end prohibition on cannabis, or we don’t.”
She specifically addressed the need in the legislation to include social equity. “I keep saying, I think the governor’s team is all about, how much racism do we get to keep in this scenario? It’s like, no, we want to do it right.”
House Speaker Marr Ritter was unsure if they would make the end-of-session deadline, being that the legislature still needs to look over the budget. He said last week that he feels there is a 57-43 chance the legislation is approved, where he previously gave it a 50-50 chance.
If a cannabis legalization measure is not enacted, then the issue ultimately could go to Connecticut voters, and given the recent polling data, it would pass.
