Legalizing recreational marijuana in Connecticut could generate nearly $100 million in four years. That’s according to the latest study by an economics professor at UCONN.
The $15,000 study was funded by a national marijuana legalization group called the Marijuana Policy Project.
Fred Carstensen is the economist who worked on the study. He tells the Hartford Courant that “legalization will generate significant job creation, strong growth in GDP, and hundreds of millions in new tax revenues.”
Critics of marijuana legalization at the state legislature say the study leaves out the potential costs of regulation and risks to young people.
Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont supports legalization. His marijuana bill was put on hold when the state Legislature shut down due to the pandemic.