A bill revamping regulations around the cannabis market passed the House of Representatives Monday night after a debate over what some lawmakers saw as a loosening of important restrictions on cannabis sale, and what others saw as logical modifications to a system that was placing barriers in front of a growing market.
"What this does is, it modernizes our cannabis and hemp laws to reflect today's market realities," said Rep. Roland Lemar, D-New Haven, during the debate.
Regulating cannabis in Connecticut has provoked contentious debates since lawmakers narrowly voted to legalize the substance for recreational use in 2021. Since then, the legislature has made several adjustments to the law, regulating the sale of THC-infused beverages and banning promotional sales or discounts, for example, or placing new parameters around the sale of hemp products.
The current bill would raise or eliminate THC limits on certain products, including cannabis flower and infused beverages, and open up the market to new products and to people who live out-of-state. Lemar said that the bill brings Connecticut in line with regulations in New York, Rhode Island and Massachusetts.
Read more at CT Mirror
