The Connecticut government is signing legislation to crack down on weed giving away

Officials in New York and Washington DC have also threatened action against cannabis gift shops

Weed is getting harder and harder to come by in Connecticut.

On May 24, Governor Ned Lamont signed House Bill 5329 into effect. The law now allows municipalities to fine cannabis gift sellers and participants up to $1,000 for illegal sales. Additional fines can also be imposed for tax evasion.

Cannabis activists and business owners have denounced the bill as criminalizing the plant again and obstructing the market; Connecticut legalized adult-use cannabis in July 2021, but doesn’t expect recreational sales until late 2022.

The bill illustrates a growing trend on the East Coast, where states with legal weed still have patients and consumers jumping through hoops to access the plant.

What is cannabis gift?

Cannabis gift giving is practiced worldwide in places where cannabis is legal but not legally available for sale. Countries like Portugal allow the loophole for tourists as visitors are not yet allowed to buy legal weed.

At gift shops, a cannabis seeker buys a novelty item such as a sticker, key ring, or pair of socks for what appears to be a high price and receives cannabis as a free accompanying “gift”.

Washington DC’s cannabis gift ecosystem has been in full force since 2015 after voters approved the Possession and Personal Cultivation Initiative 71. DC first legalized medical marijuana in 2010.

Throughout the district, adults 21 and older can legally possess up to two ounces of cannabis flower, but have no ability to legally buy or sell them.

Despite much opposition, DC’s gift system remains in effect. In April, lawmakers voted against a bill that attempted to end the citywide practice of giving.

Connecticut’s “High Bazaar” was a weekly gathering that began last summer in the wake of legalization. Patients and adult users once gathered to procure flowers and other products. However, the event has been on hold since March after multiple lawsuits were filed against the event, including for improper zoning.

Related

Weed gift giving is still legal in DC as the City Council declines an offer to crack down on the practice

Why do states want to stop giving?

It’s not just Connecticut. In the last year, the New York Bureau of Cannabis Management has issued over 24 cease and desist letters to gifting violators. Cannabis Control Board Chair Tremaine Wright said the board wanted to “protect New Yorkers from known risks and strengthen the foundation of the legal, regulated market.”

Similar action was taken in New Jersey last year before recreational sales began. The motivation behind the “cannabis bazaar” raids is twofold: the risk of unregulated sales and untaxed money.

First, Connecticut’s new HB 5329 bill had much harsher consequences, including a year in prison and a $10,000 fine. Feedback from cannabis advocates led to revisions.

An important note: Gifts are still allowed among friends and family.

“You can give gifts to your friends and family,” Rep. Mike D’Agostino, D-Hamden, said during the House debate in May, the Connecticut Mirror reported. “It’s still legal and will remain legal after we pass this law.”

Amelie Williams

New York-based freelance cannabis journalist Amelia Williams is a graduate of San Francisco State University’s journalism program and a former budtender. Williams has contributed to GreenState, MG Magazine, Culture Magazine and Cannabis Now, Kirkus Reviews and The Bold Italic of the San Francisco Chronicle.

Check out Amelia Williams’ articles

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