Connecticut Lawmakers Introduce Marijuana Legalization Bill

More than three dozen Connecticut House Democrats have introduced the state’s first recreational marijuana legalization bill. If the legislation passes, the state’s medical marijuana dispensaries would be permitted to make recreational sales. With new lawmakers in office, the lawmakers are confident in the new legislation.

The first licenses for recreational sales would be offered to existing medical marijuana dispensaries, the Hartford Courant said. Connecticut’s new governor, Ned Lamont, also supports legalization.  The new legislation does not indicate a specific tax rate, it just says that recreational sales would be taxed.

The bill includes provisions for clearing previous criminal convictions for marijuana possession, too.

Allocations of the tax revenue is also listed in the legislation stating that some of the funding would go toward awareness education, substance abuse programs and placing drug prevention officers inside schools.

Overseeing recreational marijuana would be in the hands of the Department of Consumer Protection. Child-safe packaging is required. Potencies would have to be displayed on labels.

Driving while stoned would be determined by blood test. The lawmakers have established 5-nanograms of THC present in the blood as grounds for a marijuana DUI. Consumption of marijuana within 2 hours would also be grounds for a driving while stoned charge.

Home cultivation would be permitted, up to 6 plants. Public consumption would remain illegal.

The state will allow home delivery and transporting marijuana or its products would have to be done in sealed containers.

The state will not allow advertising or marketing of marijuana.

Zoning regulations only state, for now, that at least one-quarter of marijuana businesses would have to be in enterprise zones.

Governor Lamont has said that he intends to make marijuana legalization a priority.