FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, January 9, 2023
Legal Cannabis Sales to Begin on Tuesday in Connecticut
Hartford, CT — On Tuesday, 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.
“Connecticut is positioned to become an example for other states that are looking to establish a well-regulated and equitable adult-use cannabis marketplace. Years of advocacy efforts have resulted in one of the nation’s most comprehensive legalization laws that will make a real difference in the lives of Connecticut residents,” said DeVaughn Ward, Senior Legislative Counsel at 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.
Last March, New York started their legalization program and to date, 21 states and Washington, D.C. have legalized cannabis for adults 21 and older.
Contact: Violet Cavendish
vcavendish@mpp.org, 703-498-9883
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Founded in 1995, the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP) is the nation’s leading cannabis policy reform organization. MPP has played a central role in passing dozens of cannabis policy reforms in states across the country, including 12 successful cannabis legalization campaigns, and also works to advance federal reforms. Visit www.mpp.org for more information.