HARTFORD -- Opinions are mixed about whether Connecticut should legalize recreational use of marijuana by adults and advocates and foes alike were on hand well into Tuesday evening.
Some state legislators on Tuesday touted the potential benefits of legalization, ranging from better control and regulation of a now-illegal industry to additional tax revenue for the state and communities.
But other lawmakers urged colleagues to go slow and see what happens in neighboring Massachusetts, where a new voter-approved state law legalizing recreational use of the drug will take effect in mid-2018.
Groton Rep. Joe de la Cruz, a Democrat, says the Connecticut General Assembly should "wait it out" and let Massachusetts "go through the growing pains."
The Public Health Committee held a public hearing Tuesday on the first of several bills filed this session and backed by Democrats and Republicans that would legalize recreational marijuana.