Connecticut Lawmakers Still Fighting the Marijuana Gateway Drug Myth

The opioid crisis in Connecticut, and around the U.S., has heated up the marijuana legalization debate. FBI agent Charles Grady says that 9 out of 10 opioid addicts started on marijuana. One of the main arguments in Connecticut for legalizing recreational marijuana is the money it could bring to the state.

Senator Looney supports recreational marijuana legalization, according to Republican American. His support is mainly for the money it can bring to the state. It is estimated that the state could reap a $100-million or more annual financial benefit from a legal recreational marijuana.

Senate President Pro Tempore Martin Looney said, “IT is not accurate to state that marijuana is the gateway to opioids. It is just not true. The opioid crisis is a scourge in our state – but there is no linking of marijuana as part of it.”

Agent Grady said, “A habit develops into a dependency and then an addiction.”

Agent Grady, however, says that legalizing marijuana will bring upon more marijuana use that will lead to additional opioid addictions and more drug-related deaths. He also says it would ruin more lives and break the hearts of more families as addicts succumb to those addictions.

Governor Malloy still does not support recreational marijuana. Connecticut lawmakers are taking a hard look at data that has recently been made available by Colorado, Washington and other legal recreational markets. After viewing this information, they’ll bring their findings and recommendations forward as the debate continues to heat up across the state.