UPDATE: Senate Bill 16, An Act Concerning the Adult Use of Cannabis
March 2, 2020I submitted written testimony to the Committee and yielded my time for verbal testimony to Michael Cutler who co-authored the cannabis legalization initiative in Massachusetts. As with any legislation, I remain open to an honest discussion and debate on this issue.
Before the public hearing a I stood with fellow lawmakers and others in support of legalization.
While I refrain from encouraging the use of cannabis and marijuana, I do believe it's time to face reality. Legalization will replace unregulated cannabis with safer, better regulated products, give municipalities control of adult-use businesses within their borders, provide protections for employers and employees, and expunge the records of people convicted for cannabis offenses. A key provision of this bill addresses law enforcement training to identify a motorist who may be operating under the influence and to develop tests to confirm impairment by marijuana. I believe the legislation must include these necessary steps.
I would also point to the most recent Quinnipiac University Polling Institute survey of Connecticut residents – released in August of 2018 – showing 59 percent in favor of legalization.