By Nick Rosa

With Governor Dannel Malloy backing bills for marijuana reform in Connecticut and April 20 (4/20) right around the corner, there is much to talk about.

Ever since the bill to allow medical marijuana in Connecticut was introduced in 2007 by the state legislature, it has been in and out of discussion. The 2007 bill to legalize medical marijuana was passed by the legislature, but former Governor Jodi Rell vetoed it.

Another bill has been proposed by Malloy to go along with the previously proposed medical marijuana bill. The proposed decriminalization bill would reduce penalties for people who have less than a half ounce of marijuana. They would be charged with an infraction, equivalent to a parking ticket, and would be charged with a $100 fine. On Tuesday the judiciary committee passed the decriminalization bill.

“I think the bills are good, for one thing it’s a step in the right direction. People will realize marijuana isn’t really that bad, it’s been relatively hyped up by the government and people in power per se. Decriminalization hopefully will get rid of imprisoning non-violent offenders,” said Larry Vitko, president of the CCSU chapter of the National Organization for Reforming Marijuana Laws.

Vitko also said he is against the medical bill because of certain fallacies in the debate, but overall supports it as a step in the right direction for legalization.

The medical marijuana bill would require patients to register with the Department of Consumer Protection and also have their physician certify that there is a medical need for marijuana. Another proposal would allow patients to grow their own marijuana for medical use since no dispensaries will be placed in Connecticut.

If Connecticut passes the bill for medical marijuana it will become the sixteenth state to allow it, and if the decriminalization bill passes Connecticut will be the fourteenth state to have marijuana decriminalized.

The new decriminalization bill would work with Malloy’s efforts to reduce Connecticut’s prison population, which will help save the state millions of dollars. A report in 2009 by the Capitol’s Office of Fiscal Analysis said that there were 9,928 marijuana arrests in 2007. A third of those arrests were of possession of less than an ounce.

According to the report, the decriminalization bill could help the state save up to $11 million and generate $320,000 annually in revenue from fines.

At a hearing earlier in March, Senate Majority Leader Martin Looney said, “Our state should not encourage illegal drug possession and use; however, possession of small amounts of illicit substances and related paraphernalia for personal use should not leave a person with a life-long criminal record.”

Malloy and Looney both agree that incarcerating small time offenders isn’t good for Connecticut and marijuana prohibition isn’t working.

With April 20 right around the corner and the new legislature still up in the air, Vitko and the other members of CCSU’s NORML chapter are putting together a daylong event in the student center circle on campus as a follow-up to last year’s event.

“This is our headline event, the 4/20 event, and last time I checked we have eight bands coming to play from 12 to 8 p.m.,” said Vitko. “During the event we will be handing out different educational pamphlets and different things to raise awareness about marijuana and try to educate the public on this issue. Most people don’t know really know all the facts, to be fair it’s kind of hard to know all the facts since we have been shielded from them our whole lives.”

The music festival, which has CCSU NORML working with booking group The Arc Agency, will feature local bands and others from the northeast including (The) Tony Castles, Jacobi Wichita and Deadhorse. Before next week’s event Vitko is getting advertisement ready and trying to get some radio time to get the message across. The event will be have marijuana awareness to help the young voters realize what these bills are and what they will do for Connecticut.

“There’s going to be education, fundraising, a little bit of everything,” Vitko said. “I expect some decent turnout no matter what and last year there was a phenomenal turnout but I hope this year will be better.”

NORML wanted to do something different this year to get awareness out there, so Vitko did just that.

“The big difference is the bands because the Central radio station played last year and we didn’t really agree with it, they really didn’t play our requests, they just kind of played their own music and wasn’t really music you’d play on 4/20, so we’re just going to play some bands and should bring in a bigger crowd,” said Vitko.