Connecticut To Be the Next New England State To Legalize Adult Use Recreational Cannabis

The Connecticut House approved a recreational cannabis bill, which then was passed by Connecticut’s Senate, and is now on Governor Ned Lamont’s desk. The Governor is expected to sign the bill. The bill would legalize recreational cannabis in this New England state, joining Maine, Massachusetts and Vermont as well as New York and New Jersey, nearby Mid-Atlantic states. The bill would legalize cannabis for adult use starting July 1. Adults 21 and older could purchase and possess up to 1.5 ounces of cannabis.

Connecticut would be the 19th state, plus the District of Columbia, to legalize recreational cannabis, and the 4th in 2021. Governor Lamont said in a statement “It’s fitting that the bill legalizing the adult use of cannabis and addressing the injustices caused by the war of drugs received final passage today, on the 50-year anniversary of President Nixon declaring the war. The war on cannabis, which was at its core a war on people in Black and Brown communities, not only caused injustices and increased disparities in our state, it did little to protect public health and safety.” Governor Lamont added “The states surrounding us already, or soon will, have legal adult-use markets. By allowing adults to possess cannabis, regulating its sale and content, training police officers in the latest techniques of detecting and preventing impaired driving, and expunging the criminal records of people with certain cannabis crimes, we’re not only effectively modernizing our laws and addressing inequities, we’re keeping Connecticut economically competitive with our neighboring states.” Sales in Connecticut of legal cannabis are not expected to start until May 2022 at the earliest.

This bill, approved by the Senate, marked the third time in ten days that the Senate approved a recreational cannabis bill. The current bill includes provisions such as limits on THC content and funding programs to address addiction and mental health. It would also require warning labels for products with differing THC content and would allow individuals to cultivate up to three mature plants and three immature plants.
MJBizDaily projects that the Connecticut market could generate sales of $250 million in its first year and $725 million by it’s fourth.