Pubdate: Wed, 06 Apr 2016
Source: Register Citizen (CT)
Copyright: 2016 Register Citizen
Contact:  http://www.registercitizen.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/598
Author: Jack Kramer, ctnewsjunkie.com

POT PROPONENTS PUSH LEGALIZATION

University of Connecticut student Jennifer Purdon is not shy talking 
about what she termed Tuesday as her "daily use of cannabis."

Purdon, who described herself as a double-major, honor student with a 
3.6 Grade Point Average, said, "I just prefer it (marijuana) over alcohol."

Her testimony at a forum on recreational marijuana legalization 
brought a raucous round of applause from the largely supportive crowd 
that packed a hearing at the Legislative Office Building in Hartford. 
The informational hearing was sponsored by New Haven Democratic Reps. 
Juan Candelaria and Toni Walker.

This session, bills that would legalize the drug received the support 
of more than a dozen legislators, but neither were called for a 
public hearing by any of the three committees of cognizance.

"I think that the people deserve an opportunity or at least a forum 
to express their opinions on legalization," said Candelaria, who also 
proposed a bill legalizing marijuana for those 21 years and older 
during the 2015 legislative session.

Legislative leaders, who've been grappling with how to cover large 
state budget deficits during a short legislative session, said this 
wasn't the year to take up such a potentially contentious issue.

But proponents argue that the timing has never been more appropriate 
considering the state's precarious fiscal situation. They estimated 
Connecticut could reap about $50 million in additional annual taxes 
if recreational marijuana was legalized.

Walker, who is co-chairman of the legislature's budget-writing 
committee, said the revenue generated from a tax on marijuana would 
be deposited in the state's General Fund, and some of it would be 
diverted for drug awareness education and efforts to curb abuse of 
opiates, alcohol, and other harmful substances.

Connecticut doesn't have the ability to put public policy on the 
ballot for voters, but recent polls show voters support the concept, 
including a Quinnipiac University Poll conducted in March 2015 that 
found 63 percent of voters support legalization.

Democratic Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, who successfully pushed for 
decriminalizing small amounts of marijuana in 2011 and legalizing the 
medical use of marijuana in 2012, isn't supporting legalizing recreational use.

"I'm not a believer in it. I'm not a supporter of it," Malloy said on Monday.

He went on to explain why.

"I think when you legalize marijuana you're encouraging marijuana, 
and that's not the place I want to go," Malloy said.

Colorado Rep. Dan Pabon, one of the state legislators involved in 
crafting that state's regulatory framework for recreational 
marijuana, was one of the speakers at Tuesday's forum.

In 2015, Colorado sold $1 billion worth of marijuana, which generated 
$135 million in taxes.

Papon tried the lighten the mood at the hearing before beginning his 
testimony by telling legislators, "I didn't bring any samples," 
bringing a round of laughter from the politicians and the audience.

He then went on to say that when he first heard about the idea of 
legalizing recreational marijuana, "I was opposed."

"But the world has changed," said Pabon. "When Colorado voters 
finally voted on legalizing marijuana in 2012, it got more votes than 
Barack Obama got for president."

Pabon continued that he is well aware of Connecticut's precarious 
fiscal situation. "We are in a budget crisis in Colorado ourselves," 
Pabon told legislators, adding, "You can't ignore [the] money-making 
potential" of legalization.

He added that in addition to the sales tax benefit, Colorado also 
implemented a separate excise tax on recreational pot sales.

Another proponent of legalization at the hearing was UConn graduate 
Daniel Katz, who works at Curaleaf, a medical marijuana facility in Simsbury.

Katz said legalizing recreational pot has other benefits besides 
taxes. "Increased marijuana sales will also decrease the price for 
medical marijuana users," Katz said.

There are plenty of opponents to legalization, however, besides Malloy.

The Governor's Prevention Partnership, as advocates for drug-free 
children, has formed a statewide coalition to prevent the 
legalization of recreational marijuana in Connecticut. Along with the 
Connecticut Association of Prevention Professionals and others, the 
Partnership urges lawmakers to consider the best interests of young 
people in the debate over legalization.

"Parents especially need to understand that marijuana is very harmful 
and addictive. It is not a natural, medicinal substance as many 
people think," Jill Spineti, president and CEO of The Governor's 
Prevention Partnership, said in written testimony.

Spineti said there are significant impacts on "a child's physical and 
mental health, development and overall well-being" as a result of 
smoking marijuana.

"Many young people and their families have already been substantially 
harmed by marijuana in Connecticut," Spineti added. "We are asking 
all state residents to help us fight legalization and protect our 
children from the negative consequences of using this powerful drug."

Other opponents, included the Guilford Developmental Assets for Youth 
(DAY), a local prevention coalition from the town of Guilford that 
recently successfully lobbied town officials to ban medical marijuana 
applications from being considered even though no applications were pending.

Lisa Ott, co-chairman of DAY, said the group strongly objects to the 
"so-called" informational hearing on legalization of marijuana. She 
said the process is designed to be a sales job for legalization and 
is in no way fashioned to examine the hazards of marijuana for 
Connecticut's youth.

"Big marijuana and those who are railroading the so-called 
informational hearing argue that there will be a tax windfall from 
legalization," Ott said.

Ott pointed out that Colorado hasn't reaped as much revenue from 
marijuana taxes as proponents have claimed.

"The revenue czar for the state [of Colorado]," Ott continued, "has 
announced that it is a myth that there will be a windfall to the 
state due to legalization. He states that the additional tax revenues 
will be offset by increased state expenses."

Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper's office lowered the amount of 
revenue it anticipated from the marijuana tax the first year it was 
collected, according to a September 2015 report by the Rocky Mountain 
High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, which is tracking the 
legalization in that state.

Christine Stuart contributed to this story.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom