Voter guide for Connecticut published!

Tuesday, November 3 is Election Day. This year’s elections will be critical in determining whether Connecticut will finally legalize cannabis for adults 21 and older.

We’ve put together a voter guide on where the candidates stand on legalizing, regulating, and taxing cannabis for adults 21 and older. It includes responses to our candidate questionnaire, along with past public statements.

Eleven states have legalized cannabis for adults’ use, including three in the New England region. Just last week, Vermont’s governor allowed a bill to permit legal adult sales to become law, and Maine began its adult-use sales. In neighboring Massachusetts, over $150 million in tax revenue has been generated from cannabis since adult sales began in 2018. A recent Connecticut Center for Economic Analysis (CCEA) study found that Connecticut could generate $692 to $740 million in total direct state tax revenue over five years of sales, and if Connecticut legalizes cannabis and begins sales before New York and Rhode Island, sales will likely be far higher. Indeed, there is much at stake in this year’s elections for the issue of cannabis reform.

I encourage you to first look up your state legislators here. Then, check out our voter guides for Connecticut Senate races and Connecticut House races to see where the candidates stand.

After you have a chance to look at our voter guide, please spread the word. If a candidate in your district has not taken a public position, we strongly encourage you to ask them these questions yourself! We would be happy to update the voter guide with their answers; please email DeVaughn Ward with any updates.

State legislative races are often close contests that can be decided by just a few votes. Don’t miss out on a chance to decide who represents you in Hartford and will vote on Connecticut’s cannabis policy in the 2021 session.

The deadline to register to vote is October 27. Absentee ballots must be received by the local town clerk (or will not be counted) by 8 p.m. on November 3. Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.