The state of Connecticut has passed a number of new legislation that will take effect on the first of the year. They will affect topics like the legalization of marijuana for recreational use and the movement of trucks through the state. To name just one major change, the sale of marijuana within state borders will soon be legal.
The sale of marijuana for recreational purposes will begin at nine dispensaries across Connecticut on January 10th. You can legally buy recreational marijuana if you are over 21 and have a valid government-issued photo ID. Dispensaries are getting ready to offer both medical and recreational Marijuana to customers.
There is no denying the significant advantages. According to Benjamin Zachs, COO of Fine Fettle, “we normally see that 8-10% of a population will be a cannabis consumer.” Zachs said that there are 50,000 [medical marijuana] patients in the state at the moment and that there are around 2.5 million over the age of 21.
Only 9 dispensaries will initially participate in the scheme, but as many as 100 enterprises are planning to launch within the next year. The medicinal Marijuana dispensary Fine Fettle now operates out of three sites. You can look for them in Newington, Willimantic, and Stamford. On the 10th of January, they will be among the dispensaries offering recreational marijuana to customers.
They are expanding their workforce to meet the anticipated increase in demand. We don’t see this as merely another opportunity to expand our business by attracting more customers. According to Benjamin, “this is a bigger societal transformation.”
Benjamin, Fine Fettle’s COO, says the company has spent the last 18 months getting ready. Benjamin Zachs elaborated, “We worked on all our documentation, we had to conduct some building to extend our vault and add register space in two of our facilities. He claims that over the course of the past two weeks, they have hired one hundred people to work in three different locations.
The Connecticut economy benefits from it as well. Ben argued that the industry’s arrival in Connecticut would be beneficial for the state and the country as a whole because of the thousands of new jobs it would generate. Newington resident Rick Zimmerman stated, “I think 100% it’s fantastic for the state, great for the citizens, and I agree it reduces crime.”
Initially, you’ll only be able to purchase a quarter ounce, but if demand increases, wholesalers and dispensaries will be able to increase this to an ounce. Cannabis for recreational use will be taxed at a rate of 20%, significantly more than that of medical Marijuana.
Some of the money will go to the state’s general treasury, and some of it will be used to aid areas that have been affected particularly hard by crime and drug use. A number of adjustments are coming for tractor-trailer drivers as well.
On January 1st, 2018, a new mileage tax will go into effect for tractor-trailers operating in the state of Connecticut. It’s tough for any company to comply with any tax, said John Blair, president of the Motor Transport Association of Connecticut.
That law was officially signed into law by the governor in June of 2021. The new rule will have an effect on truck drivers because it mandates their registration. The highway use tax for trucks is determined by their weight and the number of miles driven within the state.
According to John, “it goes from a 26,000-pound truck, which would pay 2.5 cents, to an 80,000-pound truck, which would pay up to 17.5 cents per mile.” We think the state has plenty of money already and the tax is unnecessary. He is worried that shoppers will have to pay the tax in the end.
John explained, “When we’re talking about a real carrier, 25 trucks can add up to around 150,000 dollars per firm, for anybody who has 25 trucks who would have to comply.” Proponents of the fee argue that it will help repair roads and bridges worn down by tractor-trailers. The Motor Transport Association is worried that interstate truckers may ignore the rules.
