On Tuesday, a reform to legalize cannabis within Connecticut that’s supported by the state governor was passed by an important committee. However, the committee’s chairman said that it’s still in progress.
The legislation passed through the parliamentary Judiciary committee after getting a 22-16 vote.
However, there are other legalization reforms that Legislators are considering. The proposed legislation from Representative Roibyn Porter was passed by the Labor and Public Employees Commission in March.
With the recent changes to Governor Ned Lamont’s reform, the initiatives are closely aligned.
Steven Stafstrom (chair of the Judiciary Commission) said that he acknowledges that cannabis legalisation is long overdue in Connecticut. Adding that Marijuana is widely recognized as less addictive and harmful to your body than other drugs that are already regulated and legalized within the state, such as alcohol and tobacco.
During the Cannabis legalization hearing, he said that although Lamont’s is more extensive and considers certain issues and criticisms of the reform, it isn’t the end of the talks.
Stafstrom said that he certain that there will be more amendments as it passes through the legislative procedure and its upcoming assignment commitee. He added that it may likely be called the Finance Committee.
As amended, Ned Lamont’s proposal would apportion 40% of qualifying permitted.
As revised, the governor’s legislation would set aside 40% of eligible cannabis business license types for social equity applicants.
To qualify as a social equity applicant, a business must have at least 51 percent ownership by a person with a cannabis-related arrest or conviction, someone whose immediate family faced such a conviction, whose lived in a “disproportionately affected community” for five of the past 10 years or who is a resident of tribal land. A social equity applicant can also be a business under day-to-day management by such persons who meet the criteria. Advocates say it shouldn’t be an either/or standard, however, and that communities that were harmed by the drug war must be among those who stand to benefit by actually owning legal cannabis businesses.
