All posts in Connecticut News

Democratic House leaders announced Wednesday that they would be going into special session and voting on a recreational marijuana bill sometime this month. The legislative session is ending at midnight Wednesday night. “My hunch is they can’t get it done by 11:59, but they will get it done within a week,” Gov. Ned Lamont said Wednesday. House Democrats had expected to get to passing a recreational marijuana bill that the state Senate passed earlier this week but ran out of time. Republican filibustering and daylong debates caused time to dwindle, so Democratic leadership turned to what they said is their bargaining chip:…

News 12 Staff Jun 06, 2021, 11:29am Updated on: Jun 07, 2021, 2:41pm Marijuana could soon be legal in Connecticut under a legislative proposal unveiled on Saturday. The bill has been in the works for months with closed-door negotiations between Gov. Ned Lamont, state legislators and social justice advocates. Under the proposed law, recreational cannabis would become legal for anyone 21 and over in July of this year.  Retail sales could begin in 2022. An initial vote on the mammoth, nearly 300-page bill could happen Monday in the state Senate. Connecticut lawmakers must pass the bill by Wednesday. If they…

News 12 Staff Jun 06, 2021, 11:29am Updated on: Jun 07, 2021, 2:41pm Marijuana could soon be legal in Connecticut under a legislative proposal unveiled on Saturday. The bill has been in the works for months with closed-door negotiations between Gov. Ned Lamont, state legislators and social justice advocates. Under the proposed law, recreational cannabis would become legal for anyone 21 and over in July of this year.  Retail sales could begin in 2022. An initial vote on the mammoth, nearly 300-page bill could happen Monday in the state Senate. Connecticut lawmakers must pass the bill by Wednesday. If they…

The legislation allows individuals with past convictions for marijuana offenses to have those convictions erased. According to the legislation, anyone convicted of possessing four ounces or less of cannabis from between Jan. 1, 2000, and Sept. 30, 2015, would automatically have their record wiped clean. Those convicted before Jan. 1, 2000, or from Oct. 15, 2015 through June 30, 2021, could petition a court to have their record erased. The automatic erasures would take effect Jan. 1, 2023, and petitions to have records erased could be filed beginning July 1, 2022.

Top Connecticut lawmakers announced on Friday that they have finally reached a deal on a bill to legalize marijuana, and they’re now circulating the finalized language among members ahead of votes that are expected soon. Following weeks of talks with Gov. Ned Lamont’s (D) office, House Majority Leader Jason Rojas (D) said negotiators now have a “pencils down” agreement. But lawmakers will need to move quickly if they hope to pass the legislation ahead of Wednesday’s end of session deadline. “Now we can actually go to people and say this is the final product,” House Speaker Matt Ritter (D) said….

Details about a marijuana legalization bill that Connecticut lawmakers and the governor have been negotiating are starting to surface as leadership works to get it to the floor before the end of session next week—and some proposals dealing with social equity are raising eyebrows among advocates. House Majority Leader Jason Rojas (D) has been asked about the status of discussions with Gov. Ned Lamont’s (D) office at press briefings almost every day this week, and he’s continually insisted that a deal is imminent. On Thursday he said “we stand in a pretty good place for drafting up language, getting to…

As top Connecticut lawmakers work to wrap up negotiations for an expedited vote on a marijuana legalization bill with the end of the session looming, progressive Democrats are tempering expectations about the timeline and insisting that any finalized proposal must comprehensively address social equity. House Majority Leader Jason Rojas (D) said on Tuesday that leadership hopes to finalize the legislation by Tuesday, with a vote in the Senate possible “later this week.” Gov. Ned Lamont’s (D) office and lawmakers have been frequently meeting to negotiate the details of the reform proposal. But time is running short, with the end of…

A bill to legalize marijuana in Connecticut that’s being backed by the governor was approved on Friday in another committee, potentially setting it up for a floor vote next week. This comes as Gov. Ned Lamont’s (D) office and legislative leaders work to resolve differences in their respective legalization proposals. House Majority Leader Jason Rojas (D) said on Tuesday that the plan was to reach an agreement by the week’s end, with the expectation of “acting on it sometime next week” in the Senate. By a vote of 29-18, the Appropriations Committee cleared the governor’s bill, which was also approved in…