{"id":1360,"date":"2021-06-17T07:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-06-17T07:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/CBMiemh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmxlYWZseS5jb20vbmV3cy9wb2xpdGljcy9jb25uZWN0aWN1dC1sZWdpc2xhdHVyZS1sZWdhbGl6ZXMtbWFyaWp1YW5hLWJlY29taW5nLTE5dGgtc3RhdGUtdG8tcmVndWxhdGUtYWR1bHQtdXNl0gEA"},"modified":"2021-06-17T07:00:00","modified_gmt":"2021-06-17T07:00:00","slug":"connecticut-legalizes-marijuana-becoming-19th-state-to-regulate-adult-use-leafly","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/?p=1360","title":{"rendered":"Connecticut legalizes marijuana, becoming 19th state to regulate adult use &#8211; Leafly"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>  <title>Connecticut legalizes marijuana, becoming 19th state to regulate adult use &#8211; Leafly<\/title>     <!-- This is Index Exchange, a script\/\/3rd-party integration that interjects GAM. It needs to be 'ahead' of GTM in the DOM, which comes from Cephalopod. GTM loads GAM. This script needs to setup it's interjection stuff before GAM loads. --> <!-- End Index Exchange --> <!-- Quotes = strings--><!-- No quotes = boolean-->\t   <!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v17.1.2 (Yoast SEO v17.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->                  <!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. --> <\/p>\n<p> <!-- BEGIN Sailthru Horizon Meta Information --><\/p>\n<p><!-- END Sailthru Horizon Meta Information -->  <!-- Google Publisher Tag --> <!-- End Google Publisher Tag --> <!-- Google Tag Manager --> <!-- End Google Tag Manager --> <!-- Chartbeat --> <!-- End Chartbeat --><br \/>\n <!-- Google Tag Manager (noscript) -->   <!-- End Google Tag Manager (noscript) -->   <title>Leafly<\/title>     <title>Leafly \u00ae<\/title>                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              <title>Loading\u2026<\/title>     <\/p>\n<div class=\"bg-white fixed flex hidden inset-0 items-start md:h-auto md:items-center overflow-auto\" id=\"age-gate-container\">\n<div class=\"bg-white md:h-auto mx-auto p-lg text-sm w-full\" id=\"age-gate\">\n<p><label for=\"select-country\">Where are you from?<\/label><\/p>\n<div class=\"age-gate__info\">\n<p><button class=\"button\" data-testid=\"age-gate-no-button\" id=\"tou-cancel\">no<\/button><button class=\"button ml-md\" data-testid=\"age-gate-yes-button\" id=\"tou-continue\">yes<\/button><\/p>\n<p><label class=\"checkbox__label my-xl\"><span class=\"text-xs\" id=\"remember-user-label\">Remember me for 30 days. <br \/>I confirm that this is not a shared device.<\/span><\/label><\/p>\n<p class=\"error error--underage hidden\">Darn! You&#8217;re not old enough to use Leafly.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"hidden age-gate__loading\">Redirecting you to<span class=\"redirect-domain\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"text-xs mt-auto\">By accessing this site, you accept<br \/>\nthe <a class=\"py-xl\" data-testid=\"tou-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/info\/terms-of-use\">Terms of Use<\/a><br \/>\nand <a class=\"py-xl\" data-testid=\"pp-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/info\/privacy-policy\">Privacy Policy<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"container my-xl\">\n<div class=\"row\">\n<div class=\"col md:col-9\" id=\"article-content\">\n<p>Connecticut is scheduled to become the 19th state to legalize the adult use of cannabis, as the state Legislature passed a bill earlier this morning. Gov. Ned Lamont is widely expected to sign it into law as soon as today. <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote has-text-align-left\">\n<p>Starting July 1, it\u2019s legal to possess up to 1.5 ounces. Look for retail sales to start in late spring 2022.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Starting July 1, 2021, it will be legal for adults 21 and older to possess up to 1.5 ounces on their person. It will be legal to have up to five ounces secured in a home or vehicle. (That means, specifically, in a vehicle\u2019s trunk or locked glove box, or in a locked container in a person\u2019s residence.) <\/p>\n<p>Retail sales are not expected to begin until until at least May 2022.<\/p>\n<p>Additionally, the new law provides for the automatic erasure of cannabis convictions from Jan. 1, 2000, through Sept. 30, 2015, for possessing less than four ounces of cannabis or any amount of certain other drugs.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cConnecticut\u2019s time has finally come,\u201d said Rep. Steven Stafstrom (D-Bridgeport), who steered the bill through the House. \u201cThe war on drugs has failed us. The criminalization of cannabis was the wrong course of action for our state and for our nation.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-concentrate-possession-limits\">Concentrate possession limits<\/h2>\n<p>It\u2019s worth noting that under the new law, the \u201c1.5 ounce limit\u201d translates into 7.5 grams of cannabis concentrate, or any other cannabis products with up to 750mg of THC. (A typical package of cannabis edibles contains 100mg of THC.) The five ounce limit translates into 25 grams of cannabis concentrate or any other cannabis products with up to 2,500mg of THC.<\/p>\n<p>Other provisions in the new law: <\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Home growing will be allowed starting July 1, limited to three mature plants plus three immature plants, for a total of six plants.<\/li>\n<li>Retail cannabis products must contain labels that include THC content. <\/li>\n<li>State lawmakers are prohibited from entering the industry for two years after leaving office. <\/li>\n<li>Possession of cannabis paraphernalia is not longer prohibited. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 id=\"h-drama-in-the-final-hours\">Drama in the final hours<\/h2>\n<p>The effort to pass the legalization measure in a special session that began on Wednesday was not without some drama. <\/p>\n<p>House members on Wednesday stripped an amendment the Senate previously added to the cannabis legalization bill that ensured that an equity applicant for marijuana industry licenses, who would receive preferential status, could include people living in certain geographic areas who were previously arrested or convicted for the sale, use, manufacture or cultivation of cannabis. The provision also applied to individuals whose parent, spouse or child was arrested or convicted of the same charges.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Democratic Gov. Ned Lamont had threatened to veto the legislation if that provision were included, arguing it would open up the industry and give preference to tens of thousands of people with a history of cannabis crimes, or members of their families, regardless of their financial means.<\/p>\n<p>It was unclear by Lamont considered that a bug, not a feature, of the bill. Legalization is meant to encourage those in the pre-legalized industry to practice their trade in a legal and regulated fashion.<\/p>\n<p>But reporter <a href=\"https:\/\/ctmirror.org\/2021\/06\/15\/ct-senate-passes-marijuana-bill-veto-promised-over-changes\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Mark Pazniokas at the Connecticut Mirror<\/a> sussed out the problem. The Senate amendment had expanded the definition of a \u201csocial equity candidate\u201d to include <em>anyone<\/em> previously convicted of a marijuana crime, not just those seriously impacted by the War on Drugs. <\/p>\n<p>As Pazniokas <a href=\"https:\/\/ctmirror.org\/2021\/06\/15\/ct-senate-passes-marijuana-bill-veto-promised-over-changes\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">wrote<\/a>: <\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-pullquote is-style-solid-color\">\n<blockquote>\n<p>That change would have given preference for a license to a far broader group than residents of distressed communities: Hypothetically, a wealthy investor with a child caught with a single joint would be eligible for a social equity license, without any connection to a distressed neighborhood.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/figure>\n<p>Democratic House Speaker Matt Ritter put it another way: \u201cDo I think that you should get a leg up because you got pinched [for] marijuana at 19 at Wesleyan? No, I don\u2019t,\u201d he <a href=\"https:\/\/www.courant.com\/politics\/hc-pol-connecticut-marijuana-bill-vote-20210616-fjs2m2grazdjlk7zsfmqrgdulq-story.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">told reporters<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-strong-equity-measures-included\">Strong equity measures included<\/h2>\n<p>In the end, legislators fighting for equity measures counted the final bill as a big step forward. Rep. Juan Candelaria (D-New Haven) praised the legalization law\u2019s strong social equity measures.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re able to repair the wrongs of the past and ensure that these communities who have been disproportionately impacted are made whole,\u2019\u2019 Candelaria told the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.courant.com\/politics\/hc-pol-connecticut-marijuana-bill-vote-20210616-fjs2m2grazdjlk7zsfmqrgdulq-story.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Hartford Courant<\/a>. \u201cWe\u2019re able to repair the wrongs of the past and ensure that these communities who have been disproportionately impacted are made whole.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-how-underage-use-infractions-will-be-handled\">How underage use infractions will be handled<\/h2>\n<p>\u201cWhile stronger language surrounding equity in ownership is needed, it\u2019s very encouraging to see substance use disorder and mental health treatment will have a dedicated fund that will receive 25% of tax revenues,\u201d said Zachary Green, President of the&nbsp; UConn Hartford Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) chapter, who helped mobilize a rally for legalization in April. \u201cThat fund, plus the fact students would no longer be discriminated against through enrollment or penalization due to their cannabis use, is huge progress.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Some youth-specific highlights of the bill include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>No arrests for possession for anyone under 18.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<li>No discrimination against students who use medical cannabis.<\/li>\n<li>Schools must re-write their policies by Jan. 2022 to equalize cannabis penalties with alcohol.<\/li>\n<li>Student athletes may not be penalized for failing a drug test for cannabis.<\/li>\n<li>No financial aid penalty for possession under 4 ounces.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Connecticut will soon become the fourth state to adopt a legalization policy this year alone, joining New Mexico, New York, and Virginia! <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/e3bvzUc3t8\">https:\/\/t.co\/e3bvzUc3t8<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Marijuana Policy Project (@MarijuanaPolicy) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/MarijuanaPolicy\/status\/1405554464585551873?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">June 17, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p><em>Material from the Associated Press was used in this report.<\/em><\/p>\n<div id=\"author-box\" class=\"p-lg my-xxl bg-white rounded border border-light-grey elevation-low\">\n<div class=\"mb-lg\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/leafly-cms-production.imgix.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/10162342\/bruce-contrast-3-240x240.jpg?auto=compress,format&amp;w=180&amp;h=180\" alt=\"Bruce Barcott's Bio Image\" class=\"lazyload inline-block mr-md rounded-full border border-light-grey\"> <\/p>\n<p>Bruce Barcott<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"text-sm\">Leafly Senior Editor Bruce Barcott oversees news, investigations, and feature projects. He is a Guggenheim Fellow and author of Weed the People: The Future of Legal Marijuana in America.<\/p>\n<p> <a class=\"text-sm font-bold underline text-green\" href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/news\/author\/bruce-barcott\">View Bruce Barcott&#8217;s articles<\/a> <\/div>\n<div class=\"leafly-sailthru-signup p-lg my-xl bg-white rounded elevation-low border border-light-grey\">\n<p class=\"text-xs pt-lg\">By submitting this form, you will be subscribed to news and promotional emails from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\">Leafly<\/a> and you agree to Leafly&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/company\/tos\">Terms of Service<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/company\/privacy-policy\">Privacy Policy<\/a>. You can unsubscribe from Leafly email messages anytime.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p> <!-- Chartbeat --> <!-- End Chartbeat -->  <!--\nPerformance optimized by W3 Total Cache. Learn more: https:\/\/www.boldgrid.com\/w3-total-cache\/ Served from: _ @ 2021-09-27 02:42:23 by W3 Total Cache\n--><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Connecticut legalizes marijuana, becoming 19th state to regulate adult use &#8211; Leafly Leafly Leafly \u00ae Loading\u2026 Where are you from? noyes Remember me for 30 days. I confirm that this is not a shared device. Darn! You&#8217;re not old enough to use Leafly. Redirecting you to By accessing this site, you accept the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Connecticut is scheduled to become the 19th state to legalize the adult use of cannabis, as the state Legislature passed a bill earlier this morning. Gov. Ned Lamont is widely expected to sign it into law as soon as today. Starting&#8230; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1360","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-connecticut-cbd-news"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1360","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1360"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1360\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1360"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1360"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1360"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}