UPDATE: Senate Bill 16, An Act Concerning the Adult Use of Cannabis

March 2, 2020

I 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.