Connecticut Lawmakers Want 20% Overall Cannabis Tax Rate

Connecticut lawmakers are seeking an overall tax rate of 20 percent on adult-use cannabis products, the Hartford Courant reports. Under the plan, the proceeds would be sent to cities and communities that have been most impacted by the War on Drugs.

Lawmakers in the state are debating various cannabis legalization-related bills after they moved out of their respective committees in late March and earlier this month. House Speaker Joe Aresimowicz, a Democrat, opposed the idea of earmarking the funds – not because of where they are going but because earmarks are “really hard to live up to in a changing economy and a changing budget process.”

Aresimowicz said if the legislature doesn’t come up with a compromise on legalization before June 5 they might call a special session to come to an agreement.

The tax rate plan would keep Connecticut’s cannabis taxes on par with neighboring Massachusetts and includes a local option that would allow municipalities to add their own 3 percent sales tax.

“Naturally, we don’t want to incentivize anybody to go over the border to Massachusetts if they are going to purchase cannabis. We tried to keep our rate consistent with the overall effective rate of where Massachusetts is.” — Rep. Jason Rojas, via NBC Connecticut

Earlier this month, the Legislature’s Judiciary Committee approved cannabis charge expungement bill, a measure to ensure employers have the right to ban cannabis from the workplace, and legislation to create a driving under the influence test for cannabis. The adult-use bill was approved by the General Law Committee in late March.