{"id":4303,"date":"2021-06-22T07:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-06-22T07:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/CAIiEJtPtRQryNq1LVnceTep690qGQgEKhAIACoHCAowjsP7CjCSpPQCMKCK0wU"},"modified":"2021-06-22T07:00:00","modified_gmt":"2021-06-22T07:00:00","slug":"we-can-get-it-right-with-connecticut-recreational-marijuana-use-has-now-been-legalized-in-nearly-half-of-the-us-usa-today","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/?p=4303","title":{"rendered":"&#8216;We can get it right&#8217;: With Connecticut, recreational marijuana use has now been legalized in nearly half of the US &#8211; USA TODAY"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"gnt_em gnt_em__fp gnt_em_vp__tp gnt_em__el\" aria-label=\"Video - Marijuana: Why the drug became illegal and the future of legalization\"><\/aside>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Connecticut became the 19th state to legalize recreational use of marijuana Tuesday, when Gov. Ned Lamont signed a highly anticipated bill which hopes to&nbsp;address racial inequities stemming from the nation&#8217;s war on drugs.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">\u201cWe had a chance to learn from others, and I think we\u2019ve got it right here in the state of Connecticut,\u201d said Lamont, referring to the multiyear effort to finally pass a legalization bill during a ceremony at the state capital.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">\u201cMaybe we weren\u2019t the first but we were the first, I think, to show that we can get it right,&#8221; he said.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">People age 21 and older will be allowed to possess and consume marijuana beginning on July 1 under the new law, which also lays the groundwork for a new cannabis industry in the state and attempts to address racial inequities stemming from the nation\u2019s war on drugs.<\/p>\n<aside aria-label=\"advertisement\" class=\"gnt_m gnt_x gnt_x__lbl gnt_x__al\"><\/aside>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Connecticut joins 18 other states&nbsp;in fully legalizing recreational marijuana for adults, and joins four other states \u2014&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/story\/news\/local\/new-jersey\/marijuana\/2021\/02\/22\/nj-marijuana-legalization-legal-weed-law-phil-murphy-cannabis-dispensaries\/4534717001\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-t-l=\":b|e|inline click|${u}\" class=\"gnt_ar_b_a\">New Jersey<\/a>,<a href=\"https:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/story\/news\/2021\/03\/30\/new-york-legalizes-recreational-marijuana-state-legislature\/4813649001\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-t-l=\":b|e|inline click|${u}\" class=\"gnt_ar_b_a\">&nbsp;New York<\/a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/story\/news\/nation\/2021\/02\/28\/virginia-lawmakers-vote-legalize-marijuana-2024\/6859521002\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-t-l=\":b|e|inline click|${u}\" class=\"gnt_ar_b_a\">Virginia<\/a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/story\/news\/politics\/2021\/03\/31\/new-mexico-recreational-marijuana-bill-gov-michelle-lujan-grisham\/4832119001\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-t-l=\":b|e|inline click|${u}\" class=\"gnt_ar_b_a\">New Mexico<\/a>&nbsp;\u2014&nbsp;who legalized the drug this year, reported the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mpp.org\/states\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-t-l=\":b|e|inline click|${u}\" class=\"gnt_ar_b_a\">Marijuana Policy Project<\/a>. Just five states have completely outlawed the drug, and federal law has also made it illegal.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">The legislation&nbsp;received final approval&nbsp;from both chambers of the General Assembly last week during a special legislative session.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\"><strong class=\"gnt_ar_b_al\">These states legalized&nbsp;<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/story\/news\/politics\/elections\/2020\/11\/04\/recreational-weed-legal-arizona-new-jersey-south-dakota-montana\/6160708002\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-t-l=\":b|e|inline click|${u}\" class=\"gnt_ar_b_a\">recreational marijuana on Election Day<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\"><strong class=\"gnt_ar_b_al\">Experts weigh in on THC vs. CBD&nbsp;after&nbsp;<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/story\/life\/health-wellness\/2021\/04\/20\/cbd-thc-cannabis-pot-experts-explain-wellness-benefits-4-20\/7242425002\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-t-l=\":b|e|inline click|${u}\" class=\"gnt_ar_b_a\">Martha Stewart, Jaleel White and more promote cannabis use<\/a><\/p>\n<aside aria-label=\"advertisement\" class=\"gnt_m gnt_x gnt_x__lbl gnt_x__al\"><\/aside>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">\u201cI think it will be the most comprehensive and best cannabis legalization bill in the country,\u201d said House Majority Leader Jason Rojas, D-East Hartford. \u201cHistory will tell us if that\u2019s true or not, but I feel confident in saying yes, right now, this is the best bill in the country and it\u2019s going to move us in a direction of ensuring that we provide a well-regulated marketplace for adult-use cannabis for adults who want to participate in that kind of activity.\u201d<\/p>\n<aside class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_anc\" id=\"gnt_atomsnc\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" data-gl-method=\"loadAnc\" aria-label=\"Newsletter signup form\"><\/aside>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Connecticut is one of the only states whose law clears marijuana convictions under certain conditions (it will automatically clear records from&nbsp;Jan. 1, 2000 through Sept. 30, 2015).&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">The Marijuana Policy Project&nbsp;also notes the legislation sets aside 50% of licenses for equity applicants, which include residents of communities that have been \u201cdisproportionately impacted\u201d by drug-related crimes and high unemployment. Also, up to 75% of revenue will be dedicated toward equity efforts and community reinvestment, the group said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Montana,&nbsp;Michigan, New York, Utah,&nbsp;Vermont and Virginia are the only others that automatically clear marijuana convictions with conditions. Arizona will begin expungements next month.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Marijuana offenses made up 545,000 arrests in the nation in 2019, and those arrested are largely Black and Latino Americans, the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/drugpolicy.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-t-l=\":b|e|inline click|${u}\" class=\"gnt_ar_b_a\">Drug Policy Alliance<\/a>&nbsp;reported.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Connecticut&#8217;s legislation <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/story\/news\/local\/2021\/06\/22\/conn-marijuana-legalization-raises-concerns-norwich-area-legislators\/5297754001\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-t-l=\":b|e|inline click|${u}\" class=\"gnt_ar_b_a\">received strong opposition from both Democrats and Republicans<\/a>. But polls indicate that support for marijuana legalization around the country&nbsp;may be greater for it.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">American support for legalization is the highest it&#8217;s been than at any&nbsp;point in the past five decades, <a href=\"https:\/\/news.gallup.com\/poll\/323582\/support-legal-marijuana-inches-new-high.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-t-l=\":b|e|inline click|${u}\" class=\"gnt_ar_b_a\">Gallup reported in a 2020 poll.<\/a>&nbsp;When the survey organization first measured legalization support in 1969, it was only at 12% \u2014&nbsp;by 2000 it had grown to 34% and is now twice that. Around&nbsp;90% support allowing medical marijuana, according to a <a href=\"https:\/\/poll.qu.edu\/Poll-Release-Legacy?releaseid=2604\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-t-l=\":b|e|inline click|${u}\" class=\"gnt_ar_b_a\">2019 Quinnipac poll<\/a>, which has been legalized in thirty six states, according to the Marijuana Policy Project.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">And as public support shifts, so do states.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Just a few hours after the Connecticut governor&nbsp;signed the bill,&nbsp;the Rhode Island Senate approved legalizing recreational marijuana use for adults. The bill now goes to the House.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_gl gnt_em__el\" href=\"https:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/picture-gallery\/travel\/destinations\/2019\/08\/27\/museum-of-weed-los-angeles-california-cannabis-pot-marijuana\/2119229001\/\" data-t-l=\":l|l|c|view gallery:inline promo\" aria-label=\"View Gallery - Museum of Weed explores cannabis culture\" data-g-r=\"nav_mo\" data-g-tn=\"pgcss\" data-g-mtn=\"pg2119229001\" data-g-moh=\"hpgm\" data-c-id=\"2119229001\"><img class=\"gnt_em_gl_i\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" data-gl-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2019\/08\/26\/USAT\/8db29b57-71ed-4126-9980-33da177579b8-01_AFP_AFP_1JQ11N.JPG?crop=5017,2822,x1,y571&amp;width=660&amp;height=372&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" data-gl-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2019\/08\/26\/USAT\/8db29b57-71ed-4126-9980-33da177579b8-01_AFP_AFP_1JQ11N.JPG?crop=5017,2822,x1,y571&amp;width=1320&amp;height=744&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp 2x\" alt width=\"660\" height=\"372\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\"><em>Contributing: The Associated Press.&nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Connecticut became the 19th state to legalize recreational use of marijuana Tuesday, when Gov. Ned Lamont signed a highly anticipated bill which hopes to&nbsp;address racial inequities stemming from the nation&#8217;s war on drugs. \u201cWe had a chance to learn from others, and I think we\u2019ve got it right here in the state of Connecticut,\u201d said Lamont, referring to the multiyear effort to finally pass a legalization bill during a ceremony at the state capital. \u201cMaybe we weren\u2019t the first but we were the first, I think, to show that we can get it right,&#8221; he said.&nbsp; People age 21 and&#8230; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4303","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-connecticut-cbd-news"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4303","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4303"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4303\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4303"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4303"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4303"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}