Unhappy with recreational cannabis bill, Connecticut governor threatens veto

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Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont has been pushing for recreational cannabis to be legalized in his state, but in a turn of events, he is threatening to veto a measure he says doesn’t adequately address equity issues.

The comments from the governor’s office came as the state Senate passed a measure Tuesday night by a 19-12 margin at the beginning of a special legislative session.

House lawmakers are scheduled to tackle the issue Wednesday.

The Senate measure “does not meet the goals laid out during negotiations when it comes to equity and ensuring the wrongs of the past are righted,’’ Paul Mounds, Lamont’s chief of staff, said, according to the Hartford Courant.

The disagreement is over how an equity applicant would be defined.

An earlier version of the bill supported by the governor gave preference to individuals from geographic areas disproportionately harmed by the war on drugs.

The measure passed by the Senate uses household income, residency and previous cannabis convictions as criteria, the Courant reported.

The comments from the governor’s office raise questions about whether an acceptable measure will pass and be signed into law this year.