Legal cannabis is good for Connecticut. Our state collected over $22 million in tax revenue just in the first year of adult-use legalization, with much of this revenue being invested in communities that were disproportionately harmed by cannabis prohibition. Teen cannabis use is down in states with legal cannabis and some research even shows that being near a dispensary can raise property values. That’s why most Connecticut residents support cannabis legalization.
Despite the overwhelming data that concludes the positive impact of cannabis, a stigma remains, producing a local pushback from some of the same people who generally support cannabis. Whether it’s cannabis legalization, affordable housing, public transportation, or some other social good, a phenomenon emerges where the same people who support the general concept become skittish when something comes to their neighborhood or back yard, this is commonly known as NIMBYism. NIMBYism around cannabis is popping up and is actively undermining the sustainable, job-creating industry many of us are trying to build.
Throughout our state, town after town is voting to prohibit cannabis sales, or hijacking zoning processes to prevent cannabis dispensaries from opening. This shortsighted decision actively stifles economic development while not achieving its presumed goal: keeping cannabis out of your backyard.
Connecticut is a small state. If one town bans a recreational cannabis dispensary, adults can legally purchase cannabis products just a short distance away or simply purchase from the non-tested or age-gated illicit market. Instead of inhibiting cannabis consumption, prohibiting cannabis businesses denies the local community necessary infrastructure updates from a 3 percent sales tax dedicated to the city or town where the sale occurs and limits a town’s ability to keep cannabis out of the hands of minors by strengthening the illicit industry (sales made at legal dispensaries are strictly age gated to adults 21 and older).
Legal cannabis businesses frequently give back to their communities in comparison to other retail establishments, directly writing checks to support local charities while spearheading other activities in support of social good.
As a Black, female entrepreneur with a background in criminal justice and public good, I have personally spearheaded dozens of expungement clinics to help individuals clear their criminal records. This is in addition to the organic ways dispensaries contribute to local communities and economies, such as bringing new foot traffic into other local businesses in downtown areas.
Blocking legal cannabis businesses delivers a devastating blow to entrepreneurs trying to start up a business in one of the country’s most regulated industries, specifically female entrepreneurs and entrepreneurs of color. Limiting the number of towns where a dispensary can be located, combined with additional, necessary restrictions such as the proximity to a school or church, significantly restricts the real estate that fits all operational requirements. Ultimately, this drives up the startup costs associated with opening a dispensary and makes it harder for demographics with historically less access to capital to own and run a cannabis business.
Working in legal cannabis is not for the faint of heart and I knew this wouldn’t be an easy journey, but I didn’t expect to be held back by the same people who would benefit most from embracing local, legal cannabis. I hope that my fellow Connecticut residents soon see how their neighboring communities are thriving with cannabis businesses, look at the facts, and reconsider their approach to legal cannabis sales in their towns.
Tiana Hercules is a Hartford City Council member and licensed cannabis operator.
