Adult-Use Cannabis Possession Now Legal in Connecticut and Virginia

Portions of the legislature-approved legalization laws in Connecticut and Virginia take effect today including possession and use for adults 21-and-older in both states. In Virginia, adults will be able to grow up to four plants per household, but recreational sales will not commence in the state until 2024.

In Connecticut, retail sales are expected late next year.

Virginia lawmakers approved the reforms in March, making it the first state in the South to end cannabis prohibition. Starting today, it is legal for Virginians over 21 to possess up to 1 ounce and gift up to that amount to another adult. Consumption in the state is only permitted in private.

In Connecticut, where Democratic Gov. Ned Lamont just signed the legalization bill last week, adults can possess 1.5 ounces in public and up to 5 ounces in a locked container at home or in a car. Adults will eventually be allowed to cultivate their own plants on July 1, 2023, but provisions of the law de-felonizing home grows up to six plants take effect today.

The Connecticut law also includes a requirement for municipalities that opt-in to the market to create outdoor spaces for cannabis consumption, WTNH reports.

Earlier this year, adult cannabis use and possession reforms also took effect in New York; while on Tuesday portions of New Mexico’s adult-use law—including possession and use—also kicked in.

In Virginia, the reforms were not initially set to become the law of the land until 2023, but lawmakers passed a bill to push up the launch date following criticism.