The Connecticut General Assembly proposed Raised Bill No. 5329 last month, which seeks to address the loophole of “gifting” cannabis. If passed, the new bill would charge $10,000 for violations for public gifting parties. A General Law Committee held a public meeting on March 8 to discuss the bill, which brought advocates to share their concerns on the matter.
Recreational cannabis was passed in June 2021 with the signature of Governor Ned Lamont, with plans to begin statewide sales by the end of 2022. However, some advocates in Connecticut are claiming that the new bill is an attempt to re-criminalize cannabis before the program has even had a chance to fully launch. The bill’s text states that “no person shall gift, sell or transfer cannabis to another person,” and that cannabis cannot be exchanged as a donation, entry to an event, through a giveaway, and not at any location that isn’t a licensed cannabis dispensary.
One cannabis business owner, Duncan Markovich, attended a public virtual hearing of the proposal with the General Law Committee and expressed his concerns about the bill. “Some of the language presented in the bill … in fact would re-criminalize this plant and would be a major step backwards for all,” said Markovich. “The citizens of the state of Connecticut and those of us specifically within the cannabis community, culture, advocacy and industry cannot fathom such draconian language around this plant. Enacting a law that criminalizes the giving of any of this plant-based medicine to our fellow family members, friends or even complete strangers is unethical, unfathomable and borderline nefarious.” He also argued that gifting cannabis should be the same as gifting someone produce from a personal vegetable garden.
Another advocate, Justin