A controversial bill to regulate the retail sale of recreational marijuana passed an important Connecticut legislative committee on Monday. But Democrats who sponsored the bill say the legislation needs work before it goes to the floor of the General Assembly.
Democratic Representative Michael D’Agostino of Hamden, co-chair of the General Law Committee, says the bill needs further input from the finance committee on taxes and from the judiciary committee on decriminalization.
“This is certainly the main part of it. This is the entire regulatory scheme. We’ve laid out, I think, a very comprehensive structure initially here with some further work to be done.”
The committee’s Republican minority opposed the bill. Senator Kevin Witkos of Canton was alarmed that the regulatory structure allows people who sell black market marijuana to obtain a license to sell legal pot.
“Take that out, maybe I could support it. But I cannot support the bill with that language in it.”
Democrats on the committee who represent cities argued the structure is needed to provide equity for minority communities affected by the war on drugs.
Otherwise anyone from those communities with a drug conviction would be locked out of the legal pot business.
