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Blazing the trail: The push to legalize cannabis in Connecticut and across the U.S.

Alexy Patterson has a smoke on the lawn of the Connecticut Capital Building on the first 4/20 since recreational cannabis was legalized in the state.
Tyler Russell
/
Connecticut Public
Alexy Patterson has a smoke on the lawn of the Connecticut Capital Building on the first 4/20 since recreational cannabis was legalized in the state.

It’s official adults in Connecticut can now grow cannabis at home. If you’re 21 or older, you can legally grow up to 12 plants per household, as long as you’re growing them indoors and away from public view.

For years, cannabis has been a budding industry in Connecticut and across the U.S. The push to legalize — and expand the cannabis market — has swept the country. About half of all Americans live in a state where it’s legal to possess and purchase cannabis if you’re 21 years old.

This hour, we’ll get in the weeds on Connecticut’s cannabis laws — and why there's been so much inaction at the federal level.

Plus, a recap of some recent Supreme Court decisions.

GUESTS:

  • Jay Wexler: Law professor at Boston University and author of the book Weed Rules: Blazing the Way to a Just and Joyous Marijuana Policy
  • Jordan Fenster: Reporter at Hearst Connecticut Media Group and CT Insider
  • Tahira Rehmatullah: Co-founder of the CBD company, Commons, and investment firm, Highlands Venture Partners, and co-author of Waiting to Inhale: Cannabis Legalization and the Fight for Racial Justice
  • Ian Millhiser: Senior Correspondent, Vox

The Wheelhouse is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.

Frankie Graziano’s career in broadcast journalism continues to evolve.
Meg Dalton is the deputy director of storytelling for Connecticut Public. She previously worked for The Takeaway from WNYC, in collaboration with GBH and PRX, and Mobituaries with Mo Rocca. She's also reported and edited for the Columbia Journalism Review, PBS NewsHour, Slate, MediaShift, Hearst Connecticut newspapers, and more. Her audio work has appeared on ‎WNYC, WSHU, Marketplace, WBAI, and NPR. She earned her master's degree from Columbia Journalism School in 2017, where she specialized in audio storytelling and narrative writing, and has taught audio storytelling at Columbia Journalism School, UnionDocs, and public libraries.