CONNECTICUT on Tuesday joined 17 other US states in legalizing adult recreational use of marijuana as Governor Ned Lamont signed a bill that he said would also help heal economic scars left by the war on drugs.
The marijuana measure, which takes effect on July 1, would automatically erase many criminal convictions and would set up a regulatory structure that would direct opportunities and revenue toward communities hard-hit by its prohibition.
“For decades, the war on cannabis caused injustices and created disparities while doing little to protect public health and safety,” Lamont said in a statement.
Parts of the measure largely mirror a legalization bill signed by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo in March, which required that largely non-white communities that bore the brunt of drug enforcement efforts get a share of marijuana sales licenses and a share of the tax money it generates.
Noting that some surrounding states had already legalized recreational use of the drug, Lamont said, “we’re not only effectively modernizing our laws and addressing inequities, we’re keeping Connecticut economically competitive.”
