Why did the drive to make pot legal fail?

Among the big-ticket items that did not pass in Connecticut’s 2019 legislative session were tolls and legal cannabis. While tolls will likely be debated in a special session this summer, proponents of recreational marijuana will have to regroup and wait until next year.

Earlier this year, the issue seemed like a slam dunk for the Democratic-controlled legislature and newly-elected Democratic Gov. Ned Lamont. Lamont even mentioned legal weed in his first budget address in February.

“Beyond the two-year budget, we must enact new sources of revenues, such as sports betting and internet wagering,” said Lamont. “Legalizing recreational marijuana like our neighbors will make for a safer market that will be carefully regulated and taxed.”

So why did momentum for legalization stall in the General Assembly?

“I think there’s absolutely majority support among lawmakers for making marijuana legal for adults,” said Karen O’Keefe, director of state policies for the Marijuana Policy Project, a group which advocates for the reform of marijuana laws. “The challenge came to getting majority support for specific details of the legislation.”

Read more: https://ctmirror.org/2019/06/12/why-did-the-drive-to-make-pot-legal-fail/