On 18 June, the Connecticut legislature legalized recreational cannabis use for residents twenty-one and older. The bill changes state law to allow the government to tax and regulate the commercialization of cannabis products.
After the signing, Governor Ned Lamont said that the law is a first step at correcting the injustices and disparities of the War on Drugs. Gov. Lamont hopes that the new law will “eliminate the dangerous, unregulated market and support a new and equitable sector of our economy that will create jobs.”
While opponents argue that this could make the public less safe, Gov. Lamont highlighted the new funding included for “prevention and recovery services, which will be used to help prevent cannabis use by minors and to promote safe, healthy use of cannabis by those of legal age.”
The passage of this law comes after then-Gov. Dannel Malloy signed a bill that decriminalized possession of some cannabis products in 2011.
At the time, Gov. Malloy assured some that opposed the move that the state was “not legalizing the use of marijuana.” Instead, the decriminalization represented a modification to the law and that the government would continue “recognizing that the punishment should fit the crime, and acknowledging the effects of its application.”
The governor also believed that there still could be cases where charges would be pursued, for example, if a person were to tell marijuana to minors. However, it was also his position that the “state’s criminal justice resources could be more effectively utilized for convicting, incarcerating and supervising violent and more serious offenders.”
In 2012, the medical use of marijuana was legalized.
What changes to the law does the new bill include?
Commercialization
The details over how, where, and when dispensaries will open are unknown, but most expect it to be sometime in 2022. Lawmakers hope that legalization will also increase public revenue as a tax of 6.35% will be applied to cannabis products.
Possession and Public Use
While the commercialization aspects of the law will not take effect until next year, on 1 July, possession of small qualities of marijuana was legalized.
Possession of more than 1.5 ounces of marijuana or any other controlled substance will still be classified as a misdemeanor. For those under eighteen found with more than five ounces of a cannabis product with no criminal record will be given a warning, and “such person may be referred to a youth services bureau.” Consequences become more severe after the second infraction.
The law also protects cannabis users by making it illegal for the sole reason of a police stop to be that an officer smells cannabis. Also, it mandates that municipalities with populations larger than 50,000 must designate public areas where cannabis can be consumed publicly.
Righting Injustices of the Past
According to the American Civil Liberties Union, in Connecticut, Black residents are four times more likely than their white counterparts to be arrested for marijuana possession.
This fact led some Democratic lawmakers to oppose an earlier draft that they felt did not include sufficient social measures to right this injustice.
The final bill also acknowledges the disproportionate impact the War on Drugs has had on communities of color and…
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