On July 1, the same day countless consumers of marijuana and related products statewide will be hailing — and perhaps inhaling — the legalization of cannabis across Connecticut, Newtown’s Planning and Zoning Commission will be asked to snuff out the possibility of one or more recreational dispensaries taking root in the community.

While that news flash may seem sardonic, First Selectman Dan Rosenthal was unreservedly serious as he saw the likelihood of the state legalizing recreational adult use and eventual retail sales of cannabis, and began taking steps to ensure no retail purveyors would be opening up in Newtown.

“I’ve been working with [Newtown Director of Planning] George Benson on the subject,” Rosenthal told fellow selectmen Jeff Capeci and Maureen Crick Owen as he opened a regular Board of Selectmen meeting June 21.

“While I’m fine with the decriminalization, I think it would be prudent for us... to actually ban the sale in town,” the first selectman continued, describing the pending action as “hitting the pause button,” for aspiring marijuana retail operators.

“I don’t know how other communities are going to handle it,” Rosenthal said, “but once you have an application and you get an establishment, it’s here permanently for good, and it would extend to any retail zone.”

The first selectman said he was concerned that such a business could not be isolated to any particular location in town, and that the approval of a bill that passed the House, and persevered through three state Senate votes to be signed into law by Governor Ned Lamont June 22, had a “lot of moving pieces.”

“I do get concerned about the message we send to our young people. So I think sitting on the sidelines until the dust settles on this is the best approach,” he said. “It’s in P&Z’s hands — and I certainly can’t speak for [the commission], but we’re going to ask that they not allow retail sales in town.”

July 1 Meeting

Rosenthal said action by the P&Z Commission under the proposal on the table July 1 would not have any impact on the private cultivation under the new law.

“We obviously don’t have any authority over the cultivation, but the commercial cultivation and sales would not be allowed, which I think makes sense at least for now,” he told the selectmen. “I don’t expect people will have to go far to get it, and it’s something we can reconsider later.”

While the action did not require a vote, or even consensus from the board, Capeci went on the record supporting the action, and Crick Owen told The Newtown Bee following the meeting that she also supported Rosenthal’s directive to the P&Z.

The announcement about this local ban, or moratorium, came less than 24 hours ahead of the marijuana law being signed Tuesday by Lamont, making the adult use and possession of a set amount of recreational marijuana legal in Connecticut as of July 1.

Retail Sales Coming

According to reporting in The Connecticut Mirror, the administration affirmed that retail sales are not expected until at least late 2022.

Lamont signed the bill at a subdued ceremony in Hartford, saying “We have been working on this for a long time. Connecticut is the 19th state to legalize recreational marijuana after stepped-up efforts to do so came close to passing in 2020.”

Adults 21 and older will be able to possess up to 1.5 ounces on their person and up to 5 ounces in their home or locked car. The new law automatically erases criminal records for possession of up to 4 ounces of marijuana.

Lamont’s predecessor, Gov Dannel P. Malloy, successfully pushed for the decriminalization of small amounts of marijuana in 2011, then legalization of marijuana for prescribed medical use in 2012.

In Malloy’s last two years in office, the Senate was evenly divided, but Democratic gains in 2018 and 2020 led to passage. Only one Republican in each chamber voted for legalization.

Newtown delegation members Rep Mitch Bolinsky (R-106) and Rep Tony Scott (R-112) both voted against the measure in the House, and Senator Tony Hwang (R-28) voted No three times. On June 8, Hwang — a consistent and longtime opponent to legalization — released a statement conveying his thoughts on the proposal.

“I am disappointed that this sweeping bill never came before the Public Health Committee to allow a public hearing with committee members listening and learning from experts with experience on the public health implications of marijuana,” he said.

Hwang said the state has addressed criminal justice and civil rights by rectifying the past unfair and disproportionate incarceration of people of color in legislation that erases certain cannabis-related criminal convictions.

“I support social justice reforms and second chance society so those whose lives have been irrevocably altered by being arrested for possession can have a pathway to reclaim their lives,” Hwang said. “However, this bill is full of irony in the Connecticut General Assembly.”

Hwang noted that the bill legalizes a federal class one narcotic, technically a banned controlled substance, while lawmakers at the same time banned “flavored vaping and tobacco because it causes widespread harm to our children and residents.”

He also noted the irony that lawmakers had endorsed a public health committee measure to increase opioid and substance addiction counseling, and a majority of proponents did “not listen to law enforcement’s perspective and strong opposition to legalizing marijuana for public safety.”

‘A Significant Victory’

Second District Democrat Rep Raghib Allie-Brennan backed the legislation, calling the approval “a significant victory for Connecticut.”

“This landmark legislation embraces a new source of revenue that will grow the economy, establishes substantial safety guards for the public, maintains a municipality’s voice in deciding what kind of presence cannabis will have in their communities, helps curb the dangerous, unregulated market, and provides justice for those who have been harmed by this country’s failed war on drugs,” he said.

Allie-Brennan said for over three years, he has pushed and negotiated for this measure.

“I am proud to have worked with my colleagues and advocates in getting this historic legislation across the finish line in the House,” he said. “Connecticut cannot exist as an island of prohibition when neighboring states have legalized, making it only a short drive to legal cannabis. [The House] passage is the launch of a strict, well-regulated policy for the adult-use of cannabis. Just like our alcohol laws — there will be adjustments and tweaks every year.”

Allie-Brennan noted that the bill aims to right the wrongs of the past, and will help those most disproportionately and illegitimately harmed by the “war on drugs.” Specifically, the bill erases convictions related to possession of less than 4 ounces of marijuana, for offenses occurring between 2015 and 2021 — and erases convictions related to possession of any amount of marijuana for offenses occurring between 2000 and 2015.

“Change never comes easily, and rarely does it occur as quickly as we might like,” he said. “But with this major step forward, we can ensure revenue and policies in this bill are dedicated to righting wrongs through funding, criminal justice reforms, and economic opportunities.”

The bill also establishes a multi-level system to train police officers to recognize impaired driving and keep roads safe. All officers will be trained to the advanced roadside impaired driving enforcement level, and enough will be trained to the drug recognition expert level to recognize impairment.

“The message for those adults who choose to use marijuana is clear,” the lawmaker said. “Public use is still a no-go, and driving impaired is driving impaired.”

Look for reporting on the Newtown Planning & Zoning Commission’s deliberation on the proposed local ban on retail cannabis purveyors in the July 9 edition of The Newtown Bee, and at newtownbee.com.

This story, with reporting by Mark Pazniokas, originally appeared at CTMirror.org, the website of The Connecticut Mirror, an independent, nonprofit news organization covering government, politics, and public policy in the state.

Associate Editor John Voket can be reached at john@thebee.com.