Cannabis is legal to all adults over the age of 21 in Connecticut. Patients and caregivers registered with the Department of Consumer Protection may purchase medical cannabis from state-licensed dispensaries. Any registered patient over the age of 18 may now grow up to three mature and three immature cannabis plants at home per individual, with a cap of 12 mature and immature plants per household. The same home grow rules will be in effect for all adults over 21 beginning in 2023.

The new adult use laws doubled the possession limit for patients and caregivers who may possess up to 5 ounces of cannabis; at the same time however, state regulators limited patients to 2.5 ounces of cannabis every 30 days in anticipation of product shortages brought on by recreational customers. Connecticut does not recognize out of state medical cannabis cards.

Connecticut’s first legal protections were established in 2012 with the signing of HB 5389, An Act Concerning the Palliative Use of Marijuana. HB 5389 provides registered patients with protection from arrest when using or possessing up to a one-month supply of medical cannabis in accordance with the law and allows them to designate caregivers to assist them. In 2016, the legislature also passed HB 5450, which allows minors to qualify for the medical cannabis program with some restrictions, creates protections for nurses to administer medical cannabis in health care facilities, and allows dispensaries to provide medical cannabis to medical facilities serving registered medical cannabis patients. Details on how these laws apply to patients and medical professionals can be found below.

In 2021, Connecticut legalized the adult use of cannabis under Senate Bill 1201. This required the automatic relief for possession convictions for up to four ounces which took place between January 1, 2000 and September 30, 1015. Individuals with convictions for more serious offenses can petition the court for cannabis erasure.

Navigating Connecticut State Laws:

Patients and Caregivers: Enrolling and Accessing Medical Cannabis

Medical Professionals: Procedures for recommending Medical Cannabis

Policymakers and Advocates: Actions Needed to Improve Laws for Patients

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Here is a breakdown of how Connecticut fared in ASA’s Annual State of the States Report, which evaluates the effectiveness of each state cannabis program from a patient perspective and assigns a grade using a rubric that reflects the key issues affecting patient access. Medical cannabis laws are constantly changing, ASA’s policy recommendations for Connecticut can be found below. For policy updates sign up here.

Patient Rights and Civil Protections	80/100
Arrest Protection 25/25 Affirmative Defense 20/20 Parental Rights Protections 10/20 Employment Protections 20/20 DUI Protections 0/10 Explicit Privacy Standards 5/5
Access to Medicine	60/100
Authorizes Retail Access 10/10 Alternative Accessibility Methods 20/20 - Authorizes Delivery 10/10 - Authorizes Curbside Pickup 10/10 Personal Cultivation 15/15 Collective Gardening 0/5 Sufficient Number of Licensed Retailers 15/30 Reciprocity 0/20
Program Functionality	78/100
Legal Protections Within Reasonable Time Frame 20/20 Reasonable Possession Limits 8/10 Reasonable Purchase Limits 6/10 Telemedicine for Physician Certifications 15/15 Patient and Physician Representation in Program Decision Making 10/20 Reasonable Caregiver Standards 5/5 - Background Checks 2/2 - Number of Caregivers 3/3 Reasonable Physician Standards 4/5 Access to Administration Methods 10/10 - Allows Dried Flower 5/5 - Allows Edibles, Concentrates, and Other Forms 5/5 Provides Access to Minors on School Grounds 0/5
Affordability	50/100
Sales Tax Break for Patients and Caregivers 20/20 Covered by State Insurance or Health Aid 0/20 Reasonable Registration Fees 10/20 Financial Hardship Waivers or Discounts 10/20 Donation Program 10/10 Allows Multi-Year Registrations 0/10
Health and Social Equity	85/100
State Program Protections 25/25 Housing Protections 25/25 Access for Minors 5/10 Access in Underserved Areas 5/10 List of Qualifying Conditions is Exhaustive or All Inclusive 10/10 Allows Patients to Medicate Where they Choose 5/10 Organ Transplants 5/5 Ownership or Employment Restrictions 5/5
Consumer Protection and Product Safety	160/200
Cultivation Operations 40/50 Quality Management Systems 10/10 Staff Training 10/10 Standard Operating Procedures 8/8 - Facility and Equipment Sanitation 1/1 - Workplace Safety 1/1 - Storage 1/1 - Batch and Lot Tracking 1/1 - Security 1/1 - Waste Disposal 1/1 - Water Management 1/1 - Records Management 1/1 Pesticide Usage Limitations 2/2 Environmental Impact Regulations 0/2 Required Testing 6/8 - Cannabinoids 1/1 - Terpenes 1/1 - Microbials 1/1 - Aflatoxins 1/1 - Pesticides 1/1 - Heavy Metals 1/1 - Foreign Matter 0/1 - Moisture Content/ Water Activity 0/1 Packaging and Labeling 2/3 - Cannabinoids 1/1 - Terpenes 1/1 - Pesticides 0/1 Complaints, Adverse Event Reporting, and Recall Protocol 2/7 Manufacturing Operations 35/50 Quality Management Systems 10/10 Staff Training 10/10 Standard Operating Procedures 5/7 - Facility and Equipment Sanitation 1/1 - Workplace Safety 0/1 - Storage 1/1 - Batch and Lot Tracking 1/1 - Security 1/1 - Waste Disposal 0/1 - Records Management 1/1 Environmental Impact Regulations 0/3 Required Testing 6/10 - Cannabinoids 1/1 - Terpenes 1/1 - Microbials 1/1 - Aflatoxins 1/1 - Pesticides 1/1 - Heavy Metals 1/1 - Residual Solvents 0/1 - Homogeneity 0/1 - Foreign Matter 0/1 - Water Activity 0/1 Packaging and Labeling 2/5 - Cannabinoids 1/1 - Terpenes 1/1 - Ingredients 0/1 - Allergens 0/1 - Nutritional Content 0/1 Complaints, Adverse Event Reporting and Recall Protocol 2/5 Dispensary Operations 38/50 Staff Training 20/20 Standard Operating Procedures 4/7 - Facility Sanitation 0/1 - Workplace Safety 0/1 - Storage 1/1 - Batch and Lot Tracking 1/1 - Security 1/1 - Waste Disposal 0/1 - Records Management 1/1 Product Testing 10/10 - Product Meets Requirements Before Sale 5/5 - COA Disclosure 5/5 Complaints, Adverse Event Reporting and Recall Protocol 4/13 Laboratory Operations 47/50 Independent or Third-Party 5/5 Laboratory Sampling 5/5 Method Validation 2/4 Quality Management Systems 4/5 Staff Training 20/20 Standard Operating Procedures 7/7 - Facility and Equipment Sanitation 1/1 - Equipment and Instrument Calibration 1/1 - Workplace Safety 1/1 - Sample Tracking 1/1 - Security 1/1 - Waste Disposal 1/1 - Records Management 1/1 Result Reporting 4/4
Score Penalties	0/100
Gives Regulatory Preference to Adult Use 0/20 Classifies Cannabis as a Medicine of Last Resort 0/15 Administrative or Supply Problems 0/15 Requires Vertical Integration 0/10 Creates New Criminal Penalties for Patients 0/10 Limits Patients to a Single Retailer 0/10 No System for Adding Qualifying Conditions 0/10 Imposes Bans or Limits on THC 0/5 Imposes Bans or Limits on CBD 0/5
Excerpted from ASA's 2022 State of the States Report.