Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont (D) signed the state’s cannabis legalization bill into law today, closing out a multi-year effort by pro-cannabis advocates and lawmakers.
Under the new law, adults aged 21 or older will be allowed to use and possess cannabis starting July 1. Legal purchases and possession will be capped at one and a half ounces on someone’s person but up to five ounces can be legally stored at home or in a vehicle’s trunk or glove box. Regulated cannabis sales are not expected to roll out until May 2022.
During the signing ceremony, the governor said the bill was public health- and equity-focused.
“People have been working on this for 10 years. It’s been a long time coming. I think we have a good bill that puts public health first.” — Gov. Lamont, during the bill’s signing ceremony
ICYMI: Watch today’s bill signing ceremony for legislation legalizing and safely regulating the adult-use of cannabis in Connecticut
📺https://t.co/iJp0ig6NOZ pic.twitter.com/4tts6scZnZ
— Governor Ned Lamont (@GovNedLamont) June 22, 2021
The law was approved last Thursday during a special session after House lawmakers failed to take up the Senate-approved legalization bill in the final days of the legislative session. In a twist of irony, Connecticut’s legalization bill was formally approved by lawmakers on the 50th anniversary of President Richard Nixon’s declaration of the drug war.
With the signing, Connecticut is officially the fifth state to legalize adult-use cannabis in 2021, following in the footsteps of New Jersey, New York, New Mexico, and Virginia. Additionally, New Hampshire and Rhode Island are now the only remaining New England states that have not yet adopted the reforms.
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