Is Weed Legal In Connecticut Yes
Marijuana is legal in Connecticut Since June 2021
Connecticut legalized recreational cannabis on June 22, 2021, when Gov. Ned Lamont signed SB1201. As of July 1, 2021, possession and use of up to 1.5 oz of cannabis is fully legal. Connecticut residents may also store up to 5 oz in a locked container at home or transport it in a locked glovebox or trunk.
Retail sales are not expected to begin until the summer of 2022 at the earliest, while the state sets up its retail regulations. Prior low-level marijuana offenses will also be expunged under the new law. As of July 1, 2021, possession and use of up to 1.5 oz of cannabis is fully legal. Connecticut residents may also store up to 5 oz in a locked container at home or transport it in a locked glovebox or trunk.
HB 5389
Approved: By House 96-51, by Senate 21-13
Effective: Some sections from passage (May 4, 2012), other sections on Oct. 1, 2012
Possession/Cultivation: Qualifying patients may possess "an amount of usable marijuana
reasonably necessary to ensure uninterrupted availability for a period
of one month, as determined by the Department of Consumer Protection."
Draft Regulations on Medical Marijuana
(482 KB) were posted on Jan. 16, 2013.
On Apr. 3, 2014, the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection announced the names and locations
(70 KB) of the first six dispensary facilities that will be authorized by the state. The first dispensary opened on Aug. 20, 2014.
Medical Marijuana Program
Department of Consumer Protection (DCP)
165 Capitol Avenue, Room 145
Hartford, CT 06106
Phone: 860-713-6006
Toll-Free: 800-842-2649
dcp.mmp@ct.gov
Website:
CT Medical Marijuana Program
The table below outlines Connecticut's main marijuana laws.
| Possession |
Penalty |
Incarceration |
Maximum Fine |
Personal Use |
| Less than 1.5 oz (first offense) |
N/A |
N/A |
$ 0 |
| Less than 5 oz (Locked in Locked Container) |
N/A |
N/A |
$ 0 |
| More than 5 oz (first offense) |
civil infraction |
N/A |
$ 500 |
| More than 5 oz (subsequent offense) |
Misdemeanor |
3 Months |
$ 500 |
| 1.5 oz or more in public |
Misdermeanor |
1 Year |
$ 2,000 |
Distribution or Cultivation** |
| July 1, 2023. an adult can grow up to six plants or 12 plants per household. |
N/A |
N/A |
$ 0 |
| Less than 1 kilogram (1st offense) |
Felony |
7 years |
$ 25,000 |
| Less than 1 kilogram (subsequent offense) |
Felony |
15 years |
$ 100,000 |
| 1 kilogram or more (first offense) |
Felony |
5* - 20 years |
$ 25,000 |
| 1 kilogram or more (subsequent offense) |
Felony |
10* - 25 years |
$ 100,000 |
Distribution or cultivation of marijuana within 1,500 feet of an elementary/middle school, public housing project, or daycare center is punishable by an additional 3 years imprisonment on top of any other sentence imposed.
Distribution of marijuana by a person 18 years or older to a person under 18 is punishable by an additional 2 years imprisonment, on top of any other sentence imposed. There is an exception to this rule if the distributor is less than 2 years older than the minor.
Using a person under 18 years of age to assist in the sale of marijuana is punishable by 3 years imprisonment, on top of any other sentence already imposed. |
Hash & Concentrates
S.B. 1201 was signed into law on June 22, 2021. The personal use provisions of the law took effect on July 1, 2021. It permits adults 21 and older to possess up to 1.5 ounces of cannabis flowers or an equivalent amount of cannabis concentrates in public.
The Connecticut statute uses the terms “Marijuana” and “Cannabis-type substance” to refer to plant Cannabis or any substance made from or with Cannabis, including hashish or concentrates. The terms are given the exact same definition in the statute. The term “Marijuana” is used to distinguish “Marijuana” from other hallucinogenic substances, whereas the term “Cannabis-type substance” is used to define penalties for possession of said substances. The penalties for all infractions involving hashish or marijuana concentrates are therefore the same as the penalties for all infractions involving plant marijuana. |
Paraphernalia
Provisions do not detail any penalties for paraphernalia associated with
cannabis.
Distributing or possessing paraphernalia within 200 feet of an elementary/middle school is punishable by an additional 1 year of imprisonment. |
Forfeiture
Any item used for the cultivation or distribution of marijuana is subject to forfeiture. This includes vehicles or aircraft that are used to transport marijuana for the purpose of distributing it. |
DRUGGED DRIVING
Every state criminalizes driving under the influence of a controlled substance. Some jurisdictions also impose additional per se laws. In their strictest form, these laws forbid drivers from operating a motor vehicle if they have a detectable level of an illicit drug or drug metabolite (i.e., compounds produced from chemical changes of a drug in the body, but not necessarily psychoactive themselves) present in their bodily fluids above a specific, state-imposed threshold. Read further information about cannabinoids and their impact on psychomotor performance. Additional information regarding cannabinoids and proposed per se limits is available online. |
LEGALIZATION
Generally, legalization means a policy that supports a legally controlled market for marijuana, where consumers can buy marijuana for personal use from a safe legal source. |
MANDATORY MINIMUM SENTENCE
When someone is convicted of an offense punishable by a mandatory minimum sentence, the judge must sentence the defendant to the mandatory minimum sentence or to a higher sentence. The judge has no power to sentence the defendant to less time than the mandatory minimum. A prisoner serving an MMS for a federal offense and for most state offenses will not be eligible for parole. Even peaceful marijuana smokers sentenced to “life MMS” must serve a life sentence with no chance of parole. |
MEDICAL MARIJUANA
This state has medical marijuana laws enacted. Modern research suggests that cannabis is a valuable aid in the treatment of a wide range of clinical applications. These include pain relief, nausea, spasticity, glaucoma, and movement disorders. Marijuana is also a powerful appetite stimulant and emerging research suggests that marijuana’s medicinal properties may protect the body against some types of malignant tumors, and are neuroprotective. |
TAX STAMPS
This state has a marijuana tax stamp law enacted. This law mandates that those who possess marijuana are legally required to purchase and affix state-issued stamps onto his or her contraband. Failure to do so may result in a fine and/or criminal sanction. |
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