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14 ■ JUNE 21, 2021 NEWS

Connecticut Senate Votes to Legalize

Recreational Marijuana Use

By Robert Storace

he Connecticut State Senate on Thursday
voted 16-11, with nine absent or not voting,
Tto approve a bill to legalize recreational use of
marijuana, pending Gov. Ned Lamont’s signature.
Connecticut will be joining neighboring states
New York and Massachusetts, which have passed
similar measures. It became the 19th state in the
country to legalize recreational marijuana use.
The State Senate vote follows a 76-62 vote
in Connecticut’s House of Representatives on
Wednesday. Medical marijuana has been legal in
the state for years.
The governor had expressed concern over some
language in an earlier bill. But he has also indicat- Photo: photolona/Shutterstock
ed he will throw his support behind the measure, Maine. Rhode Island is also considering legalization,
according to Pullman & Comley member Steven while in New Hampshire recreational marijuana is
Stafstrom Jr., who also chairs the House Judiciary. not legal.
The bill would allow adults ages 21 and older to Proponents of legalization have said the Demo-
use and possess marijuana, beginning July 1 in the cratic governor’s support of legalization was helpful
state. in getting approval. Lamont has
The final bill—which was about said the new law will help Con-
300 pages long—would also erase necticut’s economy and lead to
the record of some people con- Connecticut joins its job growth. His predecessor, Gov.
victed on certain types of drug neighboring states New Dannel Malloy, also a Democrat,
possession charges between Jan. 1, York and Massachusetts in opposed legalization.
2000, and Oct. 1, 2015. legalization of cannabis. The new law “will help eliminate
the dangerous, unregulated mar-
Big Business? ket and support a new growing
A 2020 Marijuana Policy Project sector of our economy, which will
study predicted a marijuana industry in Connecti- lead to jobs and growth,” Lamont said before Thurs-
cut would create more than 17,000 jobs, including day’s vote. “This measure is comprehensive, protects
direct and indirect services, such as trucking, pack- our children and the most vulnerable in our com-
aging, and plumbers and electricians for indoor munities, and will be viewed as a national model for
marijuana production. regulating the adult-use cannabis marketplace.” ■
That same study also estimated that Connecticut
could generate upward of $952 million in new state Robert Storace covers legal trends, lawsuits and
tax revenue over six years. analysis for the Connecticut Law Tribune. Follow
The business case has helped fuel cannabis legal- him on Twitter @RobertSCTLaw or reach him at
ization in Massachusetts, New York, Vermont and 203-437-5950.
CONNECTICUT
Law Tribune