Connecticut officially legalizes adult cannabis, punctually on July 4th

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Connecticut is just the latest US state to repeal its outdated cannabis prohibition laws and join the wave of legalization on the east coast.

This Tuesday, Governor Ned Lamont (D) signed Senate Law 1201, which officially legalizes the use and possession of cannabis by adults and establishes a licensed and regulated retail market. As of July 1, adults can legally own up to 1.5 ounces of flower or concentrates in public and up to 5 ounces in their homes. Lamont has been fighting for legalization since he took office and even suggested smoking a joint to celebrate.

“The war on cannabis has created injustices and inequalities for decades while doing little to protect public health and safety,” Lamont said in a statement. “The law I signed today is beginning to correct some of these mistakes by providing a comprehensive framework for a regulated market that prioritizes public health, public safety, criminal justice and justice. It will help eradicate the dangerous, unregulated market and support a new and equitable sector of our economy that will create jobs. “

“This measure is comprehensive, protects our children and the most vulnerable in our communities, and is seen as a national model for regulating adult cannabis use,” continued the governor. “By signing this into law today, we are helping our state overcome this terrible time of imprisonment and injustice.”

Although adults can legally own and smoke weed next week, retail sales are unlikely to begin until the end of 2022. Sales of all THC products, including the hemp-derived Delta-8 and Delta-10 THC, will remain illegal until the state completes the process of approving and regulating adult dispensaries. Weed flowers are capped at 30 percent THC and concentrates are capped at 60 percent.

Retail sales are charged with a government sales tax of 6.35 percent, a municipal tax of 3 percent, and a variable consumption tax. This additional tax is 0.625 cents per milligram of THC for flowers, 2.75 cents / mg for edibles, and 0.9 cents / mg for all other products. Some of this tax revenue will be used to fund economic opportunities in communities hardest hit by the war on drugs, and some will be used to fund additional substance abuse prevention and treatment services.

Medicinal cannabis patients can grow up to three mature and three immature plants from October 1, and other adults can grow their own pot from July 1, 2023. Adults are allowed to weed each other, but the law specifically forbids “giving away” weed in connection with a purchase or donation. This provision will prevent the expansion of the gray market weed gift stores that have become popular in Washington DC, Vermont, and New Jersey.

The new law also prevents most employers from taking adverse action against a current or prospective employee for using cannabis outside of working hours. The law also provides protection for students, renters, and licensed professionals. Medical institutions must not prohibit cannabis users from receiving organ transplants or other medical care, and children’s services must not take action against parents for their cannabis use alone.

Beginning in 2023, state courts will automatically clear criminal records of anyone previously arrested for possession of up to four ounces of weed. Individuals convicted of other petty weed crimes, including possession of paraphernalia and petty sales, can request in person to have their files deleted. Police officers are also prohibited from using the smell of cannabis as an excuse to justify a search or a traffic stop. However, anyone who sells weed to minors can be fined and jailed for up to a year, and minors caught with weed can be fined but not incarcerated.

“State lawmakers are to be commended for making model laws that move Connecticut forward,” said Paul Armentano, NORML associate director and native Connecticut. “This legislation recognizes that responsible adult use of marijuana should not be a crime and that those bearing the stigma of having a criminal record of past cannabis use should be given relief. Regulating cannabis rather than criminalizing it has proven to be superior public policy – so more and more states are rapidly moving in that direction. “