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Mar. 3—EAST WINDSOR — A man caught growing 192 marijuana plants in the basement of his home adjacent to East Windsor Middle School, while possessing a cache of illegal weapons, accepted a plea bargain Wednesday in which he was convicted of a number of crimes and can expect a one-year prison sentence. Marc Edward Betancourt, who is in his late 40s and has listed an address on Wesley Road, was convicted in the Hartford Superior Court plea bargain of producing marijuana and possessing the drug with the intent to sell it, online court records show. He also was convicted of…

STAMFORD — A New York man facing felony assault charges for a 2020 stabbing had his bond hiked by $250,000 after he violated his house arrest to “smoke marijuana,” a state prosecutor said. Alan Lagunes, 19, was taken into custody by Stamford Superior Court marshals Wednesday afternoon following a negative report filed by his probation officer. Assistant State’s Attorney Daniel Cummings said the officer reported that Lagunes, who faces a first-degree assault charge stemming from a April 2020 stabbing in Greenwich, told him “without hesitation” that he had violated court-ordered house arrest earlier this year in order to “go on…

Mar 03, 2022, 5:33pmUpdated 7h ago By: News 12 Staff A Somers resident faces a slew of drug and weapons charges, including nine for alleged criminal possession. Police Vincenzo Fidanza, 40, was in possession of more than 20 pounds of marijuana and other drugs – including amphetamines, cocaine and oxycodone. Fidanza is being held without bail. He’s due back in court on March 7.

With at least five competing cannabis legalization bills in play this session in Maryland, the state’s Senate president weighed in on Friday about how he’d like to see lawmakers proceed during the remaining weeks of the legislative session. The House of Delegates passed legislation last week that would ask voters whether to legalize cannabis for adults in the state, as well as a separate bill that lays out related criminal justice reforms. On the Senate side, two competing proposals have been introduced and are pending in committee: One that would legalize cannabis directly later this year as well as another…

STAMFORD – Some Connecticut towns flatly oppose marijuana shops within their borders and banned them from the get-go. Other towns struggle with the decision left to them by last year’s law legalizing marijuana for recreational use. Around the state, zoning officials are reworking regulations to figure out how to keep marijuana shops from attracting traffic, crime, adolescents and others susceptible to drug abuse, even as administrators weigh the revenue prospects of a 3 percent tax on sales. But the strong stances and rule rewrites may be moot. That’s because the law comes with a twist – though towns can block…

Now that the House of Delegates has approved legalizing marijuana in Maryland, the focus shifts to the Senate, where a committee scheduled a hearing Thursday on a more expansive bill. The House has voted to send a state Constitutional amendment to voters asking whether they approve of legalizing recreational marijuana. They also passed a bill that laid out requirements for studies and penalties for public use. The Senate bill is a Constitutional amendment as well. It goes beyond the House amendment by including criminal justice provisions similar to those the House passed and goes on to lay out how the…

Rhode Island lawmakers introduced a pair of drug decriminalization bills last week—including one focused on psilocybin and buprenorphine that would authorize doctors to prescribe the psychedelic mushroom. The new legislation comes as momentum to pass marijuana legalization legislation this year increases in the House and Senate. The first of the bills, sponsored by Rep. Brandon Potter (D), would expand on the state’s existing decriminalization policy for marijuana by adding both psilocybin and buprenorphine to list controlled substances that do no carry criminal penalties. Buprenorphine is an opioid often used as a harm reduction tool to help people transition away from…

Rhode Island lawmakers from both chambers on Tuesday unveiled a much-anticipated bill to legalize marijuana in the Ocean State—a move that comes about a month after Gov. Dan McKee (D) included a proposal to end cannabis prohibition as part of his annual budget plan. Sen. Joshua Miller (D) and Rep. Scott Slater (D) introduced the new legislation, which would create a system of licensed businesses to produce and sell cannabis while allowing adults 21 and older to purchase and possess up to an ounce. They could also grow up to six plants at home, three of which could be mature….