Election Revives Pot Legalization Quest

Two New Haven state lawmakers plan to reintroduce a proposal to legalize recreational marijuana use in Connecticut after Gov. Dannel P. Malloy put the question back on the table in the wake of Election Day results in Massachusetts.

Malloy remains opposed to legalizing recreational marijuana use for adults in Connecticut.

But, he told the Independent in an interview Thursday, the success of a referendum in Massachusetts to do just that may require Connecticut to reconsider the question.

For practical reasons.

Massachusetts was one of four states to vote Tuesday to legalize recreational pot use. The others were Nevada, California, and Maine. Adults may also legally use marijuana for recreational purposes in Colorado, Oregon, Alasks, and Washington state. Voters in Arizona Tuesday voted down the measure.

“We might have to reexamine our legal position, our position of enforcement, based on what some surrounding states are doing. It requires us to take a look at it,” Malloy said during a New Haven stop Thursday. (Click on the video at the top of the story to watch the full exchange.)

“That changes everything,” said New Haven State Rep. Juan Candelaria. Before, he noted, Malloy ​“didn’t want to have the conversation.” Both Candelaria and Lemar said they plan this coming year to reintroduce a version of a legalization bill that they’d introduced in the past.

Malloy said he remains opposed to legalizing recreational marijuana use. He argued that Connecticut has already addressed the two compelling arguments for doing so.

One argument is that criminalization leads to incarcerating many non-violent offenders, who end up with a criminal record while filling jails and costing the taxpayers a lot of money. Connecticut decriminalized the possession of small amounts of marijuana in 2011. It’s now a misdemeanor. People don’t go to jail for using small amounts anymore, Malloy argued.

Another argument for legalization: People need marijuana for health reasons. Connecticut has legalized marijuana for medical use, for adults (in 2012) and then for children as well.

“Personally I think Connecticut has done enough,” said Malloy, a former prosecutor. ​“We know that for a significant portion of our population this probably is not the right thing at the right time. There appear to be people whose behaviors become interrupted, disturbed, particularly younger users. I’m not sure we need to add another product.”

Candelaria said Connecticut could use the money from taxation on legalized marijuana sales. This week the state upgraded the next two-year budget deficit to $1.5 billion. Candelaria said some of the new revenue could go toward drug treatment and prevention efforts targeting kids. Estimates of potential new annual state revenues from legalization have ranged from $10 to $20 million. (Colorado generated $135 million in weed tax revenue in 2015.)

Both Mallloy and Lemar argued that money shouldn’t drive the debate, that the issue should be decided solely on its merits.

“Its not about revenue. It’s more about how you regulate appropriately and responsibly a substance that’s legal in numerous states across the country and has no more side effects than tobacco or alcohol,” Lemar said.

“We are looking at numerous states across the country that have had full recreational legalization without widespread nefarious negative impacts. I think it’s time we treat this the same way we treat alcohol and tobacco for recreational use for responsible adults.

“I know the governor has been against it for a number of years. I do respect the steps he has taken to date. But it’s time to move forward.”

A 2015 Quinnipiac University poll found that 63 percent of Connecticut respondents support legalization.