CT moves forward with legalization and RI wants a study - ridiculous!

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — While a committee of House lawmakers on Tuesday advanced a bill that would put off marijuana legalization for at least another year in favor of additional study, a crowd of nearly 200 people gathered at the State House steps demanding a vote on a competing proposal to make the drug legal.

“I’d rather be defeated in a real vote than ignored for another year,” said Matthew Schweich, director of state campaigns for the Marijuana Policy Project.

For seven years lawmakers have debated proposals to legalize marijuana. None has ever seen a vote. Schweich equated the House Judiciary Committee’s unanimous passage of a bill creating a study commission on marijuana legalization to “a defense of the status quo with a ribbon on top.” At a minimum, lawmakers should vote on both the study commission bill and the marijuana legalization bill so voters know where their elected leaders stand, he said.

Some have suggested that the creation of a study commission alone would signal that the issue finally has momentum. The bill next heads to the House floor.

“Speaker [Nicholas] Mattiello supports a House-Senate study commission during the off-session,” House spokesman Larry Berman said. “He has talked to many of his members and there is no big push for legalization this year. There are still many issues that need to be carefully reviewed.”

But the message on Tuesday from those who support legalization was this: a study commission is not enough.

“The people that run this building don’t always feel they’re accountable to the people,” said Regulate Rhode Island Director Jared Moffat, who singled out General Assembly leadership for “standing in the way” of the nearly 60 percent of Rhode Islanders who said they support marijuana legalization in a poll earlier this year.

The House version of the legalization bill was sponsored by 25 of 75 representatives. The study commission bill was sponsored by 18 representatives. It also has the support of three top officials in Governor Gina Raimondo’s administration who authored a letter of support.

The action in Rhode Island takes place against a backdrop of increased support across New England for marijuana legalization. On Tuesday, Democratic lawmakers in Connecticut unveiled a budget proposal that includes marijuana legalization as one of several measures to help close a projected $2-billion budget gap.

Sam Tracy, director of the Connecticut Coalition to Regulate Marijuana, said the plan which creates recreational marijuana shops was estimated by lawmakers to generate $60 million in tax revenue in the first full year and $180 million in the second year.

The Hartford Courant, however, reported that Democratic lawmakers do not have enough support in their caucus to approve legalization and the issue was added to the budget proposal to drive debate.

In Vermont, the legislature recently passed a bill that makes marijuana legal but initially includes no retail sales plan. Instead, it calls for a study commission to make recommendations on commercial pot shops. That bill is expected to land on the governor’s desk within “a couple of weeks,” said Matt Simon, the political director for Vermont’s campaign.

Sen. Joshua Miller, D-Cranston, a lead sponsor on the Rhode Island legalization bill, said he has “about three alternatives already in my back pocket to get this done one way or another,” referencing the approach Vermont has taken.

“I won’t give up on this until the last night of session,” Miller said. “More and more people are [legalizing marijuana] because they see the dollar signs, and I’m fine with that.”

“A lot can happen in the final few weeks of a legislative session in Rhode Island,” Schweich added.

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Here’s an update on proposed changes to Connecticut’s Cannabis policy as of 6/9/21:

S.B. 1118 passed the state senate 19-17 on 6/7 (technically 2 am on 6/8). The bill will not be voted on in the house during this session, which means it fails; however, the house leadership is going to convene a special session within the next two weeks, and they will debate and vote on the bill at that time. Unfortunately, the senate will need to meet and vote again as well. The final hurdle will be the governor’s signature, which should happen; His administration proposed the bill.

The bill is 297 pages. I’ve read it all, and can try to answer questions. The bill is also searchable as a PDF.

In short, it proposes to:

Effective July 1st, 2021
Adults 21+ can legally smoke cannabis anywhere smoking cigarettes is otherwise permitted.
Adults 21+ can possess 6.5 ounces with various restrictions on security.
Adults 21+ can gift cannabis to each other, provided the recipient is allowed cannabis.
The things that are currently illegal, but which the bill will eventually legalize, are still prohibited but generally become misdemeanor offenses.
People under 21 won’t be arrested for cannabis possession or use.

Effective October 1st, 2021
Medical card holders 18+ or their caregiver can cultivate 3 “mature” and 3 “immature” plants in a secured area accessible only to them.

Effective January 1st, 2023
Adults 21+ may grow 3 immature and 3 mature plants in a secure location inside their home. No more than 12 plants total in a home.

The process for getting recreational market licenses isn’t clear yet. The bill establishes a commission to work out some policies, and entrusts other regulatory decisions to existing committees. There’s an obvious intent to include people who have been harmed by prohibition in the new adult use market, but there will be a limited amount of licenses available for producers, dispensaries, deliveries, etc.

I will keep updating as this continues to develop.

The failed bill (CT sb 1118) will be submitted again in a special session on Wednesday, June 16th. Debate and voting will follow. The process is still on track to legalize cannabis in CT on July 1st, 2021, but anything can happen in special session.

The State Senate met to debate and vote on 6/15. It went as expected until the proponents made a very late amendment which would allow people with cannabis convictions to apply for various licenses; moreover, it gave them priority to a degree. The governor threatened to veto the bill.

On 6/16 the House met to debate and vote. They ended up rejecting the Senate amendment, so the governor is happy again. The Senate meets on 6/17, presumably to simply vote, but a lot could happen.

The Connecticut State Senate passed the legalization of cannabis today, 6/17/21.

The governor was deeply involved in the drafting of the bill, his office submitted it to the congress, and he is expected to sign it. Until then it’s not technically over.

The Governor of Connecticut just signed the bill legalizing cannabis in to law. Effective July 1st, cannabis is basically as legal as tobacco. Recreational sales begin in May of next year. Homegrow is legal for medical October 1st of this year. Homegrow is legal for everyone in 2023.

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It’s been 1 week since legalization went into effect. Some local governments are rushing to block dispensaries from opening up (once that phase begins). The state has prohibited all smoking from state buildings, land, and parks. The state is expected to release the detailed regulations/applications by September 2021.

Questions to be answered:

What are the requirements for medical homegrow?

How many licenses for each operator type will be released?

What is the legality of selling cannabis seed?

Are there regulations covering cannabis cultivation consultants?

I’m in a similar state where grow legality was set for the future. I couldn’t reply disdainfully enough so I replied by planting.

I don’t see why the delay; we were wrong but we will stay wrong another 18 months to smoothly become right?

Interesting how they will define an ounce. Flower is easy, but the edibles and distillates are not as well defined, I don’t think, in Massachusetts.