With several states legalizing cannabis use, marijuana tourism has been on the rise. Cannabis tourism, or traveling across state lines to purchase and consume the infamous plant, attracts millions of visitors and dollars to states that allow recreational cannabis. However, with the coronavirus pandemic raging, traveling across state lines for cannabis may not be safe, says Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont.
In an interview with Yahoo Finance, Gov. Lamont said that legalizing cannabis amid the coronavirus crisis would be a big win for public health. With work-from-home and social-distancing measures in place to curb the spread of the virus, the last thing states need is people driving back and forth across state lines for marijuana. Connecticut doesn’t allow recreational cannabis yet but is surrounded by states that do, creating a situation where consumers are more likely to travel to neighboring states.
During his interview, Lamont stated that officials have “got to think regionally when it comes to how we deal with the pandemic, and I think we have to think regionally when it comes to marijuana as well.” When asked whether he would pursue cannabis legalization next year, Lamont said that he thinks he will.
Connecticut is facing a budget deficit of $2 billion, and the governor has shied away from increasing taxes or cutting government spending. Without stimulus funds, he says, Connecticut may very well slide into a mild recession and suffer even more job losses. The cannabis industry has proven to be quite resilient during the pandemic, and taxing cannabis sales would be a great way to close the deficit and boost revenues.
“Right now, I’m surrounded by states — New Jersey and Massachusetts — where marijuana is already legal,” said Lamont. “I don’t need a lot of people driving back and forth across the border. We’re trying to keep people close to home as best as we can right now. I think legalizing marijuana, doing that safely and making sure no poison is laced in, I think is one way to keep people closer to home.”
Although voters in neighboring New Jersey voted in favor of a referendum to legalize cannabis during last week’s election, marijuana possession, use and sales will still be prohibited until lawmakers pass enabling legislation for the program. In a separate appearance, Lamont stated that the passage of cannabis legislation in New Jersey as well as ongoing cannabis reform efforts throughout the Northeast underscores the need for Connecticut to enact cannabis policy change.
A company you should watch in the marijuana industry is The Alkaline Water Company Inc. (NASDAQ: WTER) (CSE: WTER). This maker of alkaline as well as flavored water has also unveiled a line of CBD-infused products.
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