Connecticut will start legal home growing this weekend

Adults in Connecticut can start growing their own weed starting this weekend as the state law allowing home-growing of cannabis goes into effect. Connecticut legalized recreational marijuana two years ago, leading to the introduction of regulated adult-use cannabis sales earlier this year. On Tuesday, officials from the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection (DCP) announced the upcoming legalization of growing cannabis at home, taking effect on Saturday, July 1.

“Adults who choose to grow their own cannabis should use safe and healthy gardening practices when growing any produce they intend to consume,” said DCP Commissioner Bryan T. Cafferelli in an agency statement. “Plants should also be kept indoors, out of the reach and sight of children and pets.”

Adults can grow six plants

According to the regulations for growing cannabis at home, adults over the age of 21 are allowed to grow up to six cannabis plants, including three immature and three mature flowering plants. Plants need to be protected from children, pets and other people who should not be allowed access to cannabis.

“We want to make sure the product is sealed. This is really important to us to keep it safe from the hands of youngsters. We want to make sure the product is safe, especially after harvest, because that’s when it contains the greatest potency of active ingredients,” said Rodrick J. Marriott, director of DCP’s drug control division, in a statement to local media.

For homes where more than one adult lives on the property, there is a limit of 12 plants per household. Additionally, all plants must be grown indoors in a secure and locked area that is not visible to the public.

“The cannabis plants must be kept indoors, in locked areas, and protected from access by anyone other than the consumer or authorized patient or caregiver,” Marriott added.

In addition to safe growing practices, the official stressed that cannabis should also be consumed with caution.

“Anytime you use cannabis, you should make sure you keep it out of the reach of children,” Marriott said. “And of course we don’t want people feeding it to their pets either, it can cause disease too.”

Connecticut legalized weed in 2021

In June 2021, Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont signed a recreational marijuana repeal bill into law, legalizing cannabis possession by adults 21 and older and creating a framework for regulated adult cannabis sales. The measure also included measures to restore justice and social justice, including provisions that resulted in the overturning of nearly 43,000 marijuana-related convictions as of New Year’s Day 2023. Licensed sales of recreational marijuana began Jan. 10 at the state’s existing medical marijuana dispensaries.

Christina Capitan, an activist with grassroots cannabis advocacy group CT Canna Warriors, notes that patients who rely on medical marijuana, which was legalized in Connecticut in 2012, have been instrumental in efforts to legalize home growing into state law of cannabis for adults .

“We have been very pushy that individuals have the right to grow and not be dependent on our state’s licensed producers,” Capitan told local media.

“That means patients have access to what they need,” added Capitan. “They will be able to grow the specific strains they need and the species they want.”

Although state law legalizes growing cannabis at home for all adults 21 and older, Capitan noted that depending on where they live, some people may be breaking federal law or local regulations when exercising their state right to grow weed at home.

“You need to be aware of whether you live in federal housing or multi-family housing,” Capitan said. “You need to know some regulations in your cities and towns.”