On Jan 10, legal cannabis sales for adults 21 and over will begin in Connecticut.
The Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection has approved licenses for nine hybrid dispensaries across the state. Beginning Tuesday, January 10, adults 21 years of age or older with a valid ID will be able to purchase up to a quarter ounce of cannabis flower, or its equivalent, per transaction. Adults will be allowed to securely cultivate cannabis at home starting July 1, 2023.
“MPP is proud to have played a leading role in the multi-year effort to legalize cannabis in Connecticut, with a focus on equity and reparative justice. We are grateful to legislative leadership, the governor’s office, advocates, and lawmakers for working to get cannabis reform past the finish line and to get it done right,” said Toi Hutchinson, President & CEO of the Marijuana Policy Project.
In addition to legalizing cannabis, the law also includes provisions for the expungement of lower-level cannabis records, and according to the governor’s office approximately 43,000 cases have already been automatically or partially erased. Furthermore, the law dedicates a large amount of excise tax revenues into a Social Equity and Innovation Fund that will be used to promote a diverse cannabis industry and reinvest in communities that have been hit the hardest.
To date, 21 states and Washington, D.C. have legalized cannabis for adults 21 and older. Arizona legalized cannabis for medical use in 2010 and for recreational use in 2020. It is legal for Arizona medical marijuana patients and anyone 21 or older to buy cannabis products from Arizona dispensaries.