{"id":48375,"date":"2021-06-21T10:58:47","date_gmt":"2021-06-21T18:58:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/2021\/06\/21\/connecticut-governor-will-sign-marijuana-legalization-bill-tuesday-but-concedes-theres-still-work-to-be-done\/"},"modified":"2021-06-21T13:45:35","modified_gmt":"2021-06-21T21:45:35","slug":"connecticut-governor-will-sign-marijuana-legalization-bill-tuesday-but-concedes-theres-still-work-to-be-done","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/2021\/06\/21\/connecticut-governor-will-sign-marijuana-legalization-bill-tuesday-but-concedes-theres-still-work-to-be-done\/","title":{"rendered":"Connecticut Governor Will Sign Marijuana Legalization Bill Tuesday, But Concedes There\u2019s Still Work To Be Done"},"content":{"rendered":"

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The governor of Connecticut will sign a bill to legalize adult-use marijuana on Tuesday, with a small ceremony planned to mark the historic occasion.<\/p>\n

But while Gov. Ned Lamont (D) is celebrating the enactment of the legislation, a top staffer said in an email to equity advocates on Friday that there\u2019s \u201cstill much work to be done\u201d to ensure that the law upholds principles of social justice and ensures that disproportionately impacted communities are empowered to participate in the industry.<\/p>\n

The signing ceremony will involve \u201clegislative leaders and those most involved in the final negotiations,\u201d the email from senior Lamont advisor Jonathan Harris, which was shared with Marijuana Moment, says.<\/p>\n

Separately on Monday, the governor told reporters at a press conference that he plans to sign the cannabis legislation on Tuesday.<\/p>\n

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NEW: @GovNedLamont<\/a> says he will sign the cannabis legalization bill tomorrow in a public signing ceremony pic.twitter.com\/rkO251hsOK<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 John Craven (@johncraven1) June 21, 2021<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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He also said last week that he\u2019s actually open to using marijuana himself<\/a> once the policy change is enacted.<\/p>\n

Due to ongoing restrictions at the Capitol, Tuesday\u2019s event will be smaller than the administration would\u2019ve wanted. But it does say that in the coming weeks there will be \u201cadditional events that will include other stakeholders, celebrating milestones on the implementation of the comprehensive framework to regulate the adult use of cannabis safely and equitably.\u201d<\/p>\n

The signing will come just days after the legislature sent the legalization bill to Lamont\u2019s desk<\/a>\u2014a victory for advocates that is the result of extensive negotiations between the governor and legislative leaders.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs we discussed and all agreed, we needed to do better on the critical issue of social equity and had the short timeline of the upcoming session working against us,\u201d Harris\u2019s message says. \u201cTogether, we did make improvements and got a bill passed, that while not perfect (few if any are), is comprehensive and prioritizes public health, public safety, social justice and equity.\u201d<\/p>\n

To that point, Lamont at one point threatened to veto the bill<\/a> because of a provision he said could undermine the intent to effectively repair harms in disparately impacted communities by allowing anyone who has been arrested or convicted of a marijuana offense to qualify as an equity applicant. But some advocates pushed back on the governor\u2019s criticism, saying that people who have been busted under prohibition are by definition those who have been most impacted by it\u2014just one example of tensions that developed between the governor\u2019s office and the equity working group he convened to advise on cannabis legislation.<\/p>\n

After Lamont signs the bill, possession of marijuana by adults 21 and older will become legal on July 1. Commercial cannabis sales could begin as soon as next May, but the bill does not specify an exact start date.<\/p>\n

Connecticut is the fourth state to legalize cannabis for adult use this year alone. It followed\u00a0New York<\/a>,\u00a0Virginia<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0New Mexico<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The bill, SB 1201<\/a>, was introduced by House Speaker Matt Ritter (D) and Senate President Martin Looney (D).<\/p>\n

Here are some key details of the legalization law:<\/strong><\/p>\n