Connecticut lawmakers advance bill that would legalize marijuana, erase criminal records for low-level drug offenders

State legislators Monday narrowly advanced a bill that would legalize recreational marijuana and erase criminal records for low-level drug offenders.

By a vote of 21-19, mostly along party lines, the judiciary committee passed the second legal marijuana bill of the legislative session. Both bills still have to be voted on by the full House of Representatives and Senate and signed into law by Gov. Ned Lamont.

Some legislators have said flatly that they would not support the final bill unless it includes the “expungement” provisions regarding erasure of former convictions for possession of marijuana.

None of the pending bills would allow users to grow their own marijuana for personal use, and usage would be restricted to adults 21 and older. Marijuana-laced candy and gummies would also be banned. Lawmakers also want state regulators to set aside licenses for residents in cities and communities they say have been disproportionately hurt for decades during the national war on drugs. [Read more at Hartford Courant]