On Thursday, the Connecticut legislature approved a bill to legalize marijuana in the state. With Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont having said, upon the legislature approving the bill, that he will sign the bill into law, Connecticut appears set to be the fourth state to legalize marijuana this year. Legalization legislation was signed earlier this year by governors of New York, New Mexico, and Virginia.

There is strong marijuana legalization momentum in the states, and legalization has much public support. Meanwhile, at the United States Capitol, progress toward marijuana legalization at the national level appears to have stopped because Democratic leaders have chosen as their legalization vehicle the MORE Act, a bill that is written such that it seems to ensure that necessary Republican support is unattainable.

Reprinted with permission from the Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity.