Authorized marijuana gross sales in Connecticut are barely per week previous, however lawmakers there are already mulling adjustments to the brand new regulation.
CTPost reports that the opening days of the state’s legislative session have proposed a slate of recent laws over the hashish program, together with “adjustments to how the state points hashish licenses to efforts to additional decriminalize the drug and improve security labeling necessities.”
The proposals, the outlet noted, “have various probabilities of efficiently turning into regulation.”
CTPost has extra on the varied proposals being floated by Connecticut lawmakers:
“Home Majority Chief Jason Rojas, D-East Hartford, is proposing adjustments to the applying charges for numerous hashish licenses. As a substitute of a flat fee, software charges can be on a graduated scale and an applicant must pay extra to submit the next variety of functions. The proposal is geared toward addressing the variety of candidates who paid a whole bunch of 1000’s of {dollars} in software charges to enhance their probabilities of profitable a license by the lottery. Utility charges range relying on license sort and whether or not the applicant qualifies for social fairness standing or not. Social fairness candidates pay decrease charges than non-equity candidates. One other invoice launched by Rojas would permit hashish companies to deduct sure bills from their state tax returns. A number of states lately have moved to permit hashish corporations to put in writing off bills on their state tax payments although the drug continues to be federally prohibited. Supporters of the proposal mentioned it could allow operators within the marijuana trade to be handled the identical as most different companies, which may write off bills resembling hire, salaries and wages, and promoting prices on their state tax returns.”
According to CTPost, a legislative committee “plans to have a look at additional regulation of hashish, whether or not to supply hemp farmers with an expedited pathway to develop leisure hashish, and take into account suggestions from the Social Fairness Council, which is answerable for guaranteeing fairness in Connecticut’s authorized hashish market.”
Authorized leisure marijuana gross sales started final week in Connecticut, as seven established medical hashish dispensaries within the state entered the adult-use hashish market.
The state’s Democratic governor, Ned Lamont, signed a invoice in 2021 that legalized leisure pot for adults in Connecticut.
“That’s why I launched a invoice and labored arduous with our companions within the legislature and different stakeholders to create a complete framework for a securely regulated market that prioritizes public well being, public security, social justice, and fairness. It is going to assist eradicate the harmful unregulated market and help a brand new, rising sector of our financial system which can create jobs,” Lamont mentioned after signing the invoice into regulation. “By permitting adults to own hashish, regulating its sale and content material, coaching law enforcement officials within the newest strategies of detecting and stopping impaired driving, and expunging the legal data of individuals with sure hashish crimes, we’re not solely successfully modernizing our legal guidelines and addressing inequities, we’re preserving Connecticut economically aggressive with our neighboring states.”
Final month, Lamont introduced that roughly 44,000 people in Connecticut would have their low-level marijuana convictions expunged from their data firstly of the brand new yr.
“On January 1, 1000’s of individuals in Connecticut could have low-level hashish convictions robotically erased because of the hashish legalization invoice we enacted final yr,” Lamont mentioned in a press release on the time. “Particularly as Connecticut employers search to fill a whole bunch of 1000’s of job openings, an previous conviction for low-level hashish possession mustn’t maintain somebody again from pursuing their profession, housing, skilled, and academic aspirations.”
Lamont was elected to a second time period in November’s election.