{"id":457,"date":"2021-08-14T10:03:23","date_gmt":"2021-08-14T10:03:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/CBMiZGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3Lm5ld3N0aW1lcy5jb20vZWxlY3Rpb25zL2FydGljbGUvV2hhdC1pcy10aGUtZnV0dXJlLW9mLWxlZ2FsLXdlZWQtaW4tRGFuYnVyeS0xNjM4NjEwMy5waHDSAQA"},"modified":"2021-08-14T10:03:23","modified_gmt":"2021-08-14T10:03:23","slug":"what-is-the-future-of-legal-weed-in-danbury-depends-which-mayoral-candidate-is-elected-danbury-news-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/?p=457","title":{"rendered":"What is the future of legal weed in Danbury? Depends which mayoral candidate is elected – Danbury News Times"},"content":{"rendered":"
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DANBURY – Democrat Roberto Alves<\/a> said retail marijuana businesses would have the green light in the Hat City if he is elected mayor in November, while Republican Dean Esposito<\/a> said his administration would first seek the will of the people.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs the mayor, first I would look into getting a good feel of what actual residents think about this type of business,\u201d Esposito said. \u201cThe tax revenue is the key because that is one of the main motivators why the state went with it, but I want to work with the residents.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Alves disagrees with a yellow light approach, saying anything that grows jobs and tax revenue responsibly has a place in Danbury\u2019s economy.<\/p>\n

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\u201cWe should welcome the business because folks are going to come home and relax (with retail marijuana) the way they relax with a glass of wine now,\u201d Alves said. \u201cPeople look to us to be the leader, and we shouldn\u2019t turn our noses up at a new source of revenue.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Alves\u2019 and Esposito\u2019s contrasting positions about recreational marijuana follow a one-year ban on new cannabis establishments<\/a> Danbury passed in July to give zoning officials time to decide what pot businesses the city should allow. The temporary ban does not affect the right of adults under the new state law to have small amounts of marijuana. Nor does Danbury\u2019s ban affect the planned opening on Monday of the city\u2019s first medical marijuana dispensary<\/a> at a former bank building on the west side.<\/p>\n

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At the same time, a brain trust of city leaders and department heads is studying Danbury\u2019s requirements under Connecticut\u2019s July 1 marijuana decriminalization law, which among other things requires cities of Danbury\u2019s size to designate a public place for recreational marijuana<\/a> use.<\/p>\n

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Although recreational marijuana is not a top voter concern the way schools and road conditions are, discussions about retail cannabis businesses and unintended consequences of legalized pot do feed into the larger campaign issues of education and tax revenue, the candidates agreed.<\/p>\n

With the approach of Labor Day weekend, when the November campaign season traditionally heats up, Esposito and Alves are alone atop their tickets after two Democrats who promised to challenge Alves in a September primary dropped out<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Alves, a member of the City Council, and Esposito, GOP Mayor Joe Cavo\u2019s chief of staff, shared their positions about legal marijuana in separate interviews last week with Hearst Connecticut Media.<\/p>\n

\u201cMayor Cavo has implemented a working group on studying cannabis and getting feedback,\u201d Esposito said. \u201cWe have to take baby steps at this point.\u201d<\/p>\n

Alves said the city should capitalize on the opportunity.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we start having (marijuana) retail, we get 3 percent of the product that gets taxed,\u201d Alves said. \u201cWhat else do we have that we tax locally that stays here?\u201d<\/p>\n

Equity and consequences<\/h2>\n

A key provision of the state marijuana law<\/a> which goes into effect in stages over the next two years, is ensuring that people disproportionately impacted by the war on drugs receive preferential treatment in the emerging recreational marijuana market<\/a>. The state took the first step to back that up on Aug. 5, when Connecticut\u2019s newly created social equity council approved a list of neighborhoods in downtown Danbury and across the state where residents will receive a higher share of cultivation and retail licenses<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Alves said much of the equity equation would be handled by the state, but said he would stand up for the principle of equal access by making sure that Danbury\u2019s designated recreational marijuana space was in a central place that everyone could get to.<\/p>\n