Marijuana legalization opponents state case

The debate over legalizing marijuana and reaping tax benefits heated up Thursday with the release of a new report claiming the cost surpasses whatever revenue would be gained.

The anti-legalization group Smart Approaches to Marijuana said a comprehensive report pegs the social and economic cost of legalizing marijuana in Connecticut at $216 million annually — far more than the projected $113 million in revenue from taxing the plant.

“Everyone likes to talk about the assumed revenue that marijuana legalization would bring to a state, but no one likes to discuss the costs affiliated with such policy measures,” said Kevin Sabet, a former Obama administration drug policy adviser and now head of the group.

“This report will hopefully give lawmakers in Connecticut reason to pause and consider the implications of such policies,” he said.

State Rep. Vincent Candelora, R-North Branford, said legalizing marijuana is not the way to raise revenue.

“We all know there is lot of money in marijuana but when we consider the health risks, people back off,” Candelora said. “It’s important for the public to realize what is going on.”

Supporters of legal weed dismissed the SAM report as more of the same — a litany of unproven allegations about a product already in wide use in Connecticut.

“It’s a lot of the same arguments we have heard,” said Sam Tracy, director of the Connecticut Coalition to Regulate Marijuana. “They bring this up in every state. My take is it’s creative accounting that maximizes costs and minimizes benefits.”

Although legalizing marijuana during the legislative session now under way is viewed as a long shot at best — especially considering this is an election year for lawmakers — the issue is still likely to come up considering the state’s ongoing billion dollar deficits.

Supporters believe legal marijuana could pour $180 million annually into state coffers, more than the projection cited by SAM. They say the eight states that have legalized weed have gained valuable revenue and have had few negative consequences.

“One in seven people in Connecticut already use marijuana,” Tracy said. “It’s already being used and the fact is prohibition does not work. Alcohol is far worse and more dangerous.”

The marijuana revenue figures are impressive. Colorado has brought in $4.2 billion since weed was legalized in 2014 and Nevada gained $20 million since legal sales began last July.

Massachusetts is setting up a retail system and expects to earn up to $82 million during the next fiscal year.

State Rep. Juan Candelaria, D-New Haven, and a sponsor of a bill to legalize marijuana, said revenue is only one reason to legalize weed.

“We want to regulate it,” Candelaria said. “If you don’t regulate it you are not addressing the cost the black market has on our children.”

Candelaria said his bill establishes ways to funnel revenue to addiction and prevention services and said legal marijuana reduces costs for police and prison systems.

North Branford’s Candelora said copying other states is not the way to go.

“Massachusetts and Vermont have made marijuana more available, but just because another state is doing it, that does not make it (a) good idea for Connecticut,” Candelora said. “Marijuana is not a gateway drug anymore. It’s a destination drug.”

Deepak Cyril D’Souza, a Yale professor, said cannabis brings a high social cost.

“By legalizing cannabis in Connecticut, we will undoubtedly see an increase in adolescent cannabis use with many negative consequences years later,” D’Souza said. “Is this what we want for our children and future adults?”

The report released by SAM said much of the cost of legalized marijuana comes from increased auto accidents, workforce production declines, absentee employees, school suspensions and addiction to the drug.

Guilford Police Chief Jeff Hutchinson said legal marijuana will increase the burden of police officers.

“We have been speaking with peers in other states, chiefs in Colorado, and the fact is the legalization of marijuana will make our jobs more difficult,” Hutchinson said.

Bo Huhn, spokesman for the Connecticut chapter of SAM, said legal weed leads to many problems.

“We the citizens will be paying costs in auto fatalities, cars smashed up in crashes, education costs when kids get addicted and expelled, higher insurance costs and detox and rehab costs,” Huhn said.

“As we lose kids into addiction, we lose the potential those kids have,” Huhn said.