In the early hours of June 8th, the Connecticut Senate approved the new recreational cannabis legalization bill. SB 1118 received a final vote of 19-17. SB 1118 took weeks of discussion between lawmakers and Governor Ned Lamont (D). June 5th saw the release of the new bill, and the Senate already approved the measure for the House to discuss and hopefully send to the governor. Governor Lamont has been calling for recreational cannabis legalization since his state of the state address at the beginning of the year. 

SB 1118

This recreational cannabis bill hasn’t had the easiest time making it through Connecticut’s Congress. Originally, the governor introduced a legalization bill, SB 888, in February. Even after the Senate Judiciary Committee approved the bill for a full chamber vote, some Democratic leaders remained opposed. They argued there weren’t enough social equity measures. But the House Majority Leader Representative Jason Rojas (D) continued to meet with Governor Lamont to make a better bill. That’s when SB 1118 was introduced. 

Even though changes were made, SB 1118 almost failed in the Senate with such a narrow vote. It now moves to the House for their vote. They have until midnight on June 9th to send SB 1118 to the governor’s desk before the regular session ends. If the bill is not approved by that time, then it will be considered dead. Any recreational legalization measure would have to wait until the next session at the beginning of 2022. Governor Lamont did say he would consider calling for a special session of congress to work on legalization specifically. 

Response

After hearing about the Senate’s approval of SB 1118, Governor Lamont released a statement on his excitement of recreational cannabis becoming a reality. He wrote:

“I applaud the Senate’s bipartisan passage of the bill to legalize the adult use of cannabis. The war on cannabis, which was at its core a war on people in Black and Brown communities, not only caused injustices and increased disparities in our state, it did little to protect public health and safety. That’s why I introduced a bill and worked hard with our partners in the legislature to create a comprehensive framework for a securely regulated market that prioritizes public health, public safety, social justice, and equity.

“It will help eliminate the dangerous, unregulated market and support a new growing sector of our economy, which will lead to jobs and growth. This measure is comprehensive, protects our children and the most vulnerable in our communities, and will be viewed as a national model for regulating the adult-use cannabis marketplace. I look forward to the Connecticut House of Representatives securing passage of this measure and sending it to my desk.”

Future

Limited time remains for lawmakers in Connecticut to approve SB 1118. But there is still a chance for recreational cannabis legalization to make it to Governor Lamont’s desk. As more information becomes available, we will update you with the latest. 

Make sure to check back for more cannabis and hemp related news.