Connecticut Governor Supports Cannabis Legalization

[dropcap class=”kp-dropcap”]E[/dropcap]ven though Connecticut still hasn’t yet legalized recreational cannabis, the state’s governor admitted in his recent 2020 State of the State address that he supports legalization.

In Gov. Ned Lamont’s speech given on Feb. 5, he claimed that he thinks legal cannabis represents “an opportunity to right the wrongs of a war on drugs that has disproportionately impacted our minority communities.” He continued to make statements about how much he supported cannabis and full-scale legalization.

Lamont also stated that he wants to continue to work with neighboring states to push for legalization, and hopefully, this time join some of the nearby states that already fully legalized, as he thinks it’s an uphill battle to try and stop the inevitable flow of tourists to other states. “Like it or not, legalized marijuana is a short drive away in Massachusetts and New York is soon to follow,” said Lamont about the reality of being one of the only states in the area without legal cannabis. “Coordinated regional regulation is our best chance to protect public health by displacing illicit sellers with trusted providers.”

“Right now, what you can buy legally in Massachusetts could land you in prison for up to a year in Connecticut,” he added. “We just marked the 100th anniversary of prohibition. How did that work out? The patchwork of cannabis and vaping laws are impossible to enforce. For decades, communities of color were disproportionately affected by the unequal enforcement of marijuana laws. Let’s legalize adult use of marijuana.”

Connecticut has been working toward recreational cannabis legalization for a while now, even though it failed to happen in 2019. In the meantime, officials have discussed cannabis tax legislation and last year, they tried to pass recreational cannabis on a statewide scale. Some lawmakers even filed a cannabis bill on behalf of the governor one day after his speech, which would allow cannabis possession and purchase of up to half an ounce.