GOVERNOR SAID TO OPPOSE BILL TO DECRIMINALIZE MARIJUANA

Gov. M. Jodi Rell indicated Monday that she opposes the
decriminalization of marijuana, a contentious issue that could come up
for a committee vote in the General Assembly as soon as today.Some
Democratic legislators have been pushing hard this year for the
decriminalization of less than an ounce of marijuana, and Rell had not
previously voiced a public view on the bill.

Two of Rell's spokesmen stopped short Monday of using the word "veto,"
but they both said that Rell opposes the concept.

"The governor opposes illegal drug use and possession," said spokesman
Rich Harris. "Whether it's a little or a lot, marijuana is an illegal
drug."

Rell traditionally avoids stating her position on bills until they
reach her desk, and she rarely mentions a possible veto before the
first committee vote is taken.

Rell vetoed a bill that would have legalized the medical use of
marijuana in June 2007. Although she said that she, as a cancer
survivor, had sympathy for those who wanted to use marijuana for pain
management, she said that her sympathy could not overcome her concerns
that those seeking to obtain the drug would need to break the law to
purchase it.

The medical marijuana bill passed in 2007 by votes of 89-58 in the
state House of Representatives and 23-13 in the Senate, which were
both shy of the two-thirds margin that was needed in both chambers to
override the veto.

This year's bill would reduce the penalty for possession of less than
1 ounce of marijuana from the current level of a misdemeanor to an
infraction with a maximum fine of $121.

The judiciary committee had considered a possible vote on the proposal
Monday, but the matter was postponed because other bills were debated
longer than expected. The committee will meet again today at noon as
it heads toward a committee deadline Friday for bills during the
current legislative session.