Why did the drive to make pot legal fail?
Among the big-ticket items that did not pass in Connecticuts 2019 legislative session were tolls and legal cannabis. While tolls will likely be debated in a special session this summer, proponents of recreational marijuana will have to regroup and wait until next year.
Earlier this year, the issue seemed like a slam dunk for the Democratic-controlled legislature and newly-elected Democratic Gov. Ned Lamont. Lamont even mentioned legal weed in his first budget address in February.
Beyond the two-year budget, we must enact new sources of revenues, such as sports betting and internet wagering, said Lamont. Legalizing recreational marijuana like our neighbors will make for a safer market that will be carefully regulated and taxed.
So why did momentum for legalization stall in the General Assembly?
I think theres absolutely majority support among lawmakers for making marijuana legal for adults, said Karen OKeefe, director of state policies for the Marijuana Policy Project, a group which advocates for the reform of marijuana laws. The challenge came to getting majority support for specific details of the legislation.
Read more: https://ctmirror.org/2019/06/12/why-did-the-drive-to-make-pot-legal-fail/