Connecticut Legalizes Cannabis
Governor Said When Connecticut Legalizes Cannabis, It Will End “Injustice” – LPC
When Connecticut legalizes cannabis, it will become the 18th US state to do so. State lawmakers passed the bill last Thursday. Governor Ned Lamont is expected to sign the bill into law.
“The war on cannabis, which was at its core a war on people in Black and Brown communities, not only caused injustices and increased disparities in our state, it did little to protect public health and safety,” Governor Lamont said in a statement. Cannabis and racism have long been linked. Although US President Joe Biden has supported cannabis decriminalization, some believe he is still stigmatizing cannabis use.
Lamont also said that when Connecticut legalizes cannabis, it will boost the economy. “It will help eliminate the dangerous unregulated market and support a new, growing sector of our economy which will create jobs.” A similar thing happened in Michigan where cannabis jobs are replacing auto industry losses.
The new law will legalize cannabis possession and cannabis cultivation for adults 21 years old and up. It will also expunge “low-level” criminal records. Other states have done the same like Illinois, which expunged the records of about a half-million people.
Adult-use cannabis sales will begin in May 2022, Lamont said. Annual cannabis sales could reach an estimated $725 million US by 2025.
Connecticut Legalizes Cannabis During a Time of Sweeping Change – LPC
Connecticut legalizes cannabis during a time of sweeping change. Last year during the US presidential election, three more states legalized recreational cannabis. Others, including Pennsylvania, seem poised to legalize adult-use cannabis.
“The states surrounding us already, or soon will, have legal adult-use markets,” Lamont said. “By allowing adults to possess cannabis, regulating its sale… we’re not only effectively modernizing our laws and addressing inequities, we’re keeping Connecticut economically competitive with our neighbouring states.”
The United Food and Commercial Workers union (UFCW) in Connecticut also approved cannabis legalization in the state. “Connecticut working families need an economy that puts them first,” said UFCW Local 371 President Ronald Petronella and UFCW Local 919 President Mark Espinosa. “With this bill, Connecticut can create thousands of good-paying cannabis jobs that will strengthen our communities and help to speed our economic recovery as we emerge from the pandemic.”
As Connecticut legalizes cannabis, many wonder what the future holds for cannabis legalization federally in the US. Is this another step towards the inevitable? Or will Biden be happy keeping cannabis illegal federally? Nobody is quite sure of Biden’s cannabis policy yet. No news likely isn’t good news in this case. At this point though, delaying cannabis legalization in the US seems futile.
Read the Full Story at Forbes.com
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