Connecticut is the 19th US state to legalize recreational cannabis

Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont signed a bill to legalize the recreational use of cannabis, making his state the 19th to do so in the United States of America (USA). The bill also aims to erase records of cannabis-related convictions and reserve commercial licenses for people from communities affected by the war on drugs, reported to CBS News.

As of July 2021, people aged 21 and over can legally carry up to 150 grams of cannabis and have 150 more stored at home or in their car. Retail sales are expected to begin in late 2022 and the state will create a special fund with that revenue to support small businesses, invest in community projects and fund education programs across the state of Connecticut.

“This measure is comprehensive, protects our children and the most vulnerable in our communities and will be seen as a national model for regulating adult cannabis. By enacting this today, we are helping our state get through this terrible period of incarceration and injustice," Lamont said.

The new law will erase some cannabis-related convictions from January 1, 2000 through October 1, 2015. The governor's office told CBS that half of all initial business licenses will be reserved for "social equality candidates", in an effort to begin the “work needed to repair the damage caused by decades of failed cannabis criminalization policies”.

“For decades, the war on cannabis has caused injustice and created disparities while doing little to protect public health and safety. The law I signed today begins to correct some of those wrongs, creating a comprehensive framework for a regulated market that prioritizes public health, public safety, criminal justice and equity,” Governor Ned Lamont said in a statement.