Let’s make 2020 the year Connecticut legalizes marijuana

Ask your lawmakers to replace marijuana prohibition with sensible, equitable regulation.

Today is the opening day of the Connecticut General Assembly. While last year’s efforts to end marijuana prohibition fell short, 2020 promises to be our best chance yet.

During Gov. Ned Lamont’s State of the State address this afternoon, he remarked, “We just marked the 100th anniversary of prohibition. How did that work out?”

He called for a coordinated regional approach to marijuana regulation to protect public heath and to “right the wrongs of a war on drugs that has disproportionately impacted our minority communities.” His budget includes new staff to prepare for legal sales in 2022.

Senate Democrats included legalization in their list of 2020 priorities, with Senate President Martin Looney saying, “We know there are very large numbers of Connecticut residents already traveling regularly to Massachusetts to buy this product... I don’t think we want to put our heads in the sand.”

Meanwhile, a recent poll found 65% of Connecticuters support legalization.

We’re ramping up our campaign. The Marijuana Policy Project hired attorney DeVaughn Ward, who will serve as co-chair of the coalition. During his years practicing law at his Hartford-based firm, he routinely represented clients who had their constitutional rights violated. Last year, DeVaughn was recognized as one of the “New Leaders in The Law” by the Connecticut Law Tribune.

But we can’t pass legalization without your support. Please write to your lawmakers today.

We also need your help to volunteer, write letters to the editor, and show up at the capitol at critical moments in the coming weeks. Please follow this link to sign up today!

We will be in touch soon to keep you in the loop on what’s happening at the capitol. This is our moment, and we need you now more than ever!