LIGHT UP

Connecticut Becomes 19th State to Legalize Marijuana

Criminal records will also be expunged for people with certain cannabis convictions.

Connecticut has officially become the nineteenth state to light one up. Gov. Ned Lamont signed a bill into law Tuesday making it legal for adults 21 and older to possess up to 1.5 ounces of marijuana on their person and up to 5 ounces in a locked container concealed in car glove box or trunk, starting July 1. However, growing recreational plants will remain illegal until July 2023. Criminal records will be expunged for people with certain cannabis convictions. Lamont said he hoped the bill could serve as a model for other states on how to remedy social justice issues while creating a catalyst for economic growth. “It’s an important thing to do on a number of fronts,” Lamont said. “It’s going to give folks who otherwise sometimes don’t have access to capital they need to start up their own business, focused on the most distressed communities, those communities that were hardest hit by the war on drugs.”