Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont (D) is circulating a draft bill to legalize marijuana and is soliciting feedback from state agencies.
Lamont said earlier this month during his annual State of the State address that he would be working with the legislature to advance the reform this session.
“I am working with our neighboring states and look forward to working with our tribal partners on a path forward to modernize gaming in our state, as well as the legislature on legalization of marijuana,” he said then. “Sports betting, internet gaming and legalized marijuana are happening all around us. Let’s not surrender these opportunities to out-of-state markets or, even worse, underground markets.”
The CT Mirror reported the draft legisltion first and that it would establish a tax-and-regulate cannabis market in the state. According to the outlet, wholesale marijuana flower in the state would be taxed at $1.25 per gram under the proposal and trimmed plants would be subject to a 50 cents tax per gram.
Connecticut’s 6.35 percent sales tax would be imposed on retail cannabis purchases, as well as a three percent surcharge, with revenue partly going to local jurisdictions.
The bill would also allow automatic expungements for people with prior low-level marijuana possession convictions from October 1, 2015 or earlier. For those convicted after that date, they will be able to petition the courts for relief.
“I think it has extremely stronger prospects than it had in recent years,” Rep. Jonathan Steinberg (D), cochair of the Public Health Committee, said to the CT Mirror.
“Frosty the Snowman would have a better chance of passing summer school in hell than any piece of legislation in Connecticut if it doesn’t deal with equity, economics and the communities that have been targeted and devastated by this fake war on drugs,” Sen. Douglas McCrory (D), cochair of the Education Committee, remarked to the CT Mirror.
