HARTFORD, Conn. (WCBS 880) — Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont has signed a bill legalizing the adult use of recreational marijuana.
Under the new law, it will be legal for anyone 21 and older to have and use marijuana starting July 1.
A person will be allowed to possess up to 1.5 ounces on their person, plus another five ounces secured in their home or vehicle.
Legal sales of the drug will not be allowed until next May at the earliest.
"It's an important thing to do on a number of fronts. Number one, in terms of equity and social justice, I love the fact that this is an equity fund, it's going to give folks who otherwise sometimes don't have access to the capital they need to start up their own business, focused on the most distressed communities, those communities who were hardest hit by the war on drugs, making up for some lost time there," Lamont said at the bill signing ceremony.
State Senate President Martin Looney praised the bill at Tuesday's signing ceremony.
"I think it was important that we had the benefit of having looked at the experience in other states and our focus was not just on creating a revenue stream, but on addressing equity issues on looking at the communities who had been most harmed by the aggressive enforcement of the marijuana laws over the last 50 years or more and the injustices that occurred and the number of people who had their lives permanently blighted by minor marijuana charges and convictions," he said.
Lamont said the state will be very strict when it comes to marketing to young people.
"This measure is comprehensive, protects our children and the most vulnerable in our communities, and will be viewed as a national model for regulating adult-use cannabis. By signing this into law today, we are helping our state move beyond this terrible period of incarceration and injustice," Lamont said.
The measure passed the state legislature last week after a bit of wrangling over disagreements about licenses to sell the drug.
Marijuana remains an illegal drug under federal law.