Connecticut Legislature Proposes Changes to Recreational Pot Program

The legal sale of marijuana in Connecticut is barely a week old, but lawmakers are already considering changes to the new law.

CTPost reports that a number of new regulations for the cannabis program were proposed in the inaugural days of the state legislature, including “changes to how the state issues cannabis licenses to support efforts to further decriminalize the drug and increase safety labeling requirements.” to undertake”.

The proposals, according to the outlet, “have varying chances of successfully becoming law.”

CTPost has more on the various Connecticut lawmakers’ proposals:

“House Majority Leader Jason Rojas, D-East Hartford, is proposing changes to application fees for various cannabis licenses. Instead of a flat fee, application fees would be tiered and an applicant would have to pay more to submit a higher number of applications. The proposal aims to address the number of applicants who have paid hundreds of thousands of dollars in registration fees to improve their chances of winning a lottery license. Application fees vary by license type and whether or not the applicant qualifies for social justice status. Social Justice applicants pay lower fees than non-equity applicants. Another bill introduced by Rojas would allow cannabis companies to deduct certain expenses from their state tax returns. Several states have moved in recent years to allow cannabis companies to write off expenses on their state tax bills, though the drug is still federally banned. Supporters of the proposal said it would allow operators in the marijuana industry to be treated the same as most other businesses that can write off expenses like rent, salaries and wages, and advertising expenses on their state tax returns.”

According to the CTPost, a Legislative Committee plans to “consider further regulation of cannabis, whether to offer hemp farmers an accelerated path to growing recreational cannabis, and to consider recommendations from the Social Equity Council, which is responsible for ensuring equity in legal cannabis in Connecticut is responsible market.”

Legal sales of recreational marijuana began last week in Connecticut when seven established medical cannabis dispensaries in the state entered the adult-use cannabis market.

The state’s Democratic Governor, Ned Lamont, signed legislation into law in 2021 legalizing adult recreational cannabis in Connecticut.

“That’s why I introduced legislation and worked hard with our partners in the legislature and other stakeholders to create a comprehensive framework for a safely regulated market that prioritizes public health, public safety, social justice and equity.” It will help eliminate the dangerous unregulated market and support a new, growing sector of our economy that will create jobs,” Lamont said after signing the law. “By allowing adult possession of cannabis, regulating its sale and content, training law enforcement officers in the latest techniques to detect and prevent disruptive driving, and erasing the criminal records of individuals with certain cannabis crimes, we are not only effectively modernizing our laws and addressing injustices , we keep Connecticut economically competitive with our neighboring states.”

Last month, Lamont announced that approximately 44,000 people in Connecticut would have their low-level marijuana convictions wiped from their records early in the New Year.

“On January 1, thousands of people in Connecticut will automatically have low-level cannabis convictions expunged as a result of the cannabis legalization act we enacted last year,” Lamont said in a statement at the time. “Especially as Connecticut employers are trying to fill hundreds of thousands of open positions, a previous low-level cannabis possession conviction should not deter anyone from pursuing their career, housing, work and educational goals.”

Lamont was elected to a second term in November’s elections.