HARTFORD, Conn. (WTNH) — Governor Ned Lamont says with 11 states having legalized adult recreational use of cannabis, he wants to move forward with a tightly-controlled regulated market in Connecticut.

Legal sales to those age 21 and over would begin no earlier than July 1, 2022. Gov. Lamont is not counting on the revenue in this year’s budget, but estimates are it could raise $160 million a year or more.

Lamont is away at the National Governors Conference in Washington this week, but before he left he said he wants to do legal cannabis in coordination with the states around the state.

Like many advocates at the Capitol, the governor notes there are frequent reports of cannabis sales to Connecticut residents in nearby Northampton, Massachusetts. He also notes New York and Rhode Island appear to be moving toward legalization, as well.

In his State of the State address on Wednesday, the governor said coordinating with the states around us, “is our best chance to protect public health by replacing illicit sellers and replacing them with trusted providers.”

Building on Connecticut’s highly-regulated medical program, the governor’s budget provides funding for two more positions at the Department of Consumer Protection to prepare those regulations but doesn’t call for sales to start until July of 2022.

State Representative Juan Candelaria (D-New Haven) has been working on this issue for six years and says, “I think with the infrastructure that we currently have in place we could have this rolling by October 1st.”

But the newly-appointed legislative counsel for the ‘Marijuana Policy Project,’ Atty. DeVaughn Ward, said because of licensing screening and other matters, Lamont’s timetable for sales would be the more accurate timeline.

“We’ve seen in other states that’s taken a little bit of time, taken some states a year or so, so even if we’re able to pass a bill this year, the apparatus may not be set up for about a year.” – Legislative Counsel for the ‘Marijuana Policy Project,’ Attorney DeVaughn Ward

Representative Dr. William Petit (R-Plainville) is one of just two physicians in the legislature and says there are medical dangers to cannabis use for people under age 25. Plus, he said, there are other problems: “Public safety has already voiced their concerns about the ability to evaluate someone’s degree of intoxication since there’s no clear cut test for it.”

And Petit also notes that the state’s large defense contractor industry is also vigorously opposed to the idea.

State Senate President pro tem Martin Looney of New Haven, said that Senate Democrats want legalized cannabis to be one of their top priorities for this legislative session. They see no need

to wait.