After coming close this year, Connecticut lawmakers have yet to decide when to make another attempt at legalizing and taxing recreational marijuana.

Legislators acknowledge it’s doubtful there will be a vote this summer or fall. And despite a desire by proponents to revisit the issue when the General Assembly reconvenes in February, it’s unclear whether that will happen. It’s a shortened legislative session and an election year for lawmakers.

“It has been and still is an issue for us. We’re just not sure what the political appetite for it is right now,” said Rep. Joshua Hall, a Democrat from Hartford who leads the General Assembly’s Progressive Caucus. There appears to be more support in the House of Representatives than the Senate for proposal, he said, which creates some hesitancy among lawmakers.

“Having people take hard votes and not coming to fruition, I think that’s probably one of the issues we’re facing,” Hall said.

Proponents have various reasons for wanting to legalize the recreational use of marijuana in Connecticut. They range from addressing inequities in the criminal justice system to generating more revenue for the state’s coffers. [Read more at The Westerly Sun]