Governor signs recreational marijuana bill into law

Gov. Ned Lamont on Tuesday signed a bill making Connecticut the 19th state to legalize recreational use of marijuana, which remains an illegal drug under federal law.

People age 21 and older will be allowed to possess and consume marijuana beginning on July 1 under the new law, which also lays the groundwork for a new cannabis industry in the state and attempts to address racial inequities stemming from the nation’s war on drugs.

“We had a chance to learn from others, and I think we’ve got it right here in the state of Connecticut,” said Lamont, a Democrat, referring to the multiyear effort to finally pass a legalization bill during a ceremony at the state capital. “Maybe we weren’t the first but we were the first, I think, to show that we can get it right.”

The legislation received final approval from both chambers of the General Assembly last week during a special legislative session.

The law allows individuals age 21 and older to possess or consume up to 1.5 ounces of “cannabis plant material” and up to 5 ounces in a locked container in a home or in the trunk or locked glove box in the person’s vehicle.

Retail sales of recreational cannabis in Connecticut are not expected to begin until the summer of 2022, at the earliest.

The legislation received strong opposition from Republicans and some Democrats in the General Assembly.

The Connecticut Medical Society, which also opposed the bill during the session, voiced its disappointment Tuesday that Lamont had signed it into law. The group warned that legalization will have “harmful, even devastating effects.”