| Offense | Penalty | Incarceration | Max. Fine |
|---|---|---|---|
Possession |
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Personal Use |
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| Up to 1.5 oz in public | No Penalty | N/A | $ 0 |
| Up to 5 oz in public in locked container | No Penalty | N/A | $ 0 |
| More than 5 oz (1st offense) | Civil infraction | N/A | $ 500 |
| More than 5 oz (2nd offense) | Misdemeanor | 3 months | $ 500 |
| 1.5 oz or more in public | Misdemeanor | 1 year | $ 2,000 |
Distribution or Cultivation** |
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| Cultivation of up to 3 mature and 3 immature plants (1st offense) | Written warning | N/A | $ 0 |
| Cultivation of up to 3 mature and 3 immature plants (2nd offense) | Civil Offense | N/A | $ 500 |
| Cultivation of up to 3 mature and 3 immature plants (subsequent offense) | Misdemeanor | 30 days | $ 500 |
| Less than 1 kilogram (1st offense) | Felony | 7 years | $ 25,000 |
| Less than 1 kilogram (subsequent offense) | Felony | 15 years | $ 100,000 |
| 1 kilogram or more (first offense) | Felony | 5* - 20 years | $ 25,000 |
| 1 kilogram or more (subsequent offense) | Felony | 10* - 25 years | $ 100,000 |
| Within 1,500 feet of an elementary/middle school, public housing project, or daycare center is punishable by an additional 3 years imprisonment. | |||
| By a person 18 years or older to a person under 18 is punishable by an additional 2 years imprisonment. | |||
| Distribution or cultivation includes possession with intent to distribute or cultivate marijuana. | |||
| * Mandatory minimum sentence | |||
| ** Adults may legally cultivate marijuana beginning July 1, 2023. | |||
Hash & Concentrates |
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| Penalties for hashish are the same as for marijuana. Please see the marijuana penalties section for further details. | |||
Paraphernalia |
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| Distributing or possessing paraphernalia within 200 feet of an elementary/middle school is punishable by an additional 1 year of imprisonment. | |||
Forfeiture |
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| Any item used for the cultivation or distribution of marijuana is subject to forfeiture. | |||
Penalty Details
Possession for Personal Use
S.B. 1201 was signed into law on June 22, 2021. The personal use provisions of the law took effect on July 1, 2021. It permits adults 21 and older to possess up to 1.5 ounces of cannabis flowers or an equivalent amount of cannabis concentrates in public, and up to five ounces of marijuana in their private residence. The measure limits the discriminatory actions that employers, hospitals, and others may take against those who test positive for past cannabis exposure. It also provides protections for parents and tenants who use cannabis in compliance with the law. The bill mandates that the odor of marijuana alone cannot be used as a basis for police to search an individual, and it prohibits jail time as a penalty for those under the age of 21 who are caught in possession of marijuana. Young adults (those ages 18 to 20) face civil penalties for marijuana possession. The use of cannabis in public remains subject to penalty.
Possession of up to 5 ounces in a locked container carries no penalty, no incarceration and no fine
Possession of more than 5 ounces is a civil infraction with a maximum fine of $500 for a first offense. A second offense is a misdemeanor punishable by up to 3 months incarceration and a maximum fine of $500.
Possession of 1.5 ounces in public is a misdemeanor punishable by up to one year incarceration and a maximum fine of $2,000.
- Connecticut Gen. Stat. § 21a-279a(a)(d)(e)
Distribution or Cultivation
Distribution or cultivation includes possession with intent to distribute or cultivate marijuana.
S.B. 1201 was signed into law on June 22, 2021. Home cultivation is permitted under the law, but adults are not legally permitted to engage in this activity until July 1, 2023. At that time, an adult can grow up to six plants or 12 plants per household. Until then, home cultivation remains prohibited and is punishable by civil fines. For home growing in CT prior to July 1, 2023, penalties for cultivating up to three mature and three immature plants are: (1) for a first offense, shall be issued a written warning, (2) for a second offense, shall be fined not more than $500, and (3) for any subsequent offense, shall be guilty of a class D misdemeanor punishable by 30 days incarceration and a maximum fine of $500.
For first offenders distribution or cultivation of less than 1 kilogram of marijuana is punishable by a fine of up to $25,000 and/or up to 7 years of imprisonment. Subsequent offenses are punishable by a fine of up to $100,000 and/or up to 15 years of imprisonment.
For first offenders distribution or cultivation of 1 kilogram or more of marijuana is punishable by 5-20 years of imprisonment. Subsequent offenses are punishable by up 10-25 years of imprisonment. The court cannot reduce a sentence below the minimum years of prison time required by the statute, this means that first offenders face a minimum of 5 years imprisonment and subsequent offenders a minimum of 10 years imprisonment. The court may make exceptions to these mandatory minimum sentences if the defendant is under 18 or is/was mentally impaired.
Distribution or cultivation of marijuana within 1,500 feet of an elementary/middle school, public housing project, or daycare center is punishable by an additional 3 years imprisonment on top of any other sentence imposed.
Distribution of marijuana by a person 18 years or older to a person under 18 is punishable by an additional 2 years imprisonment, on top of any other sentence imposed. There is an exception to this rule if the distributor is less than 2 years older than the minor.
Using a person under 18 years of age to assist in the sale of marijuana is punishable by 3 years imprisonment, on top of any other sentence already imposed.
- Connecticut Gen. Stat. § 21a-278b(b)(c)(d)
- Connecticut Gen. Stat. § 21a-277(b)
- Connecticut Gen. Stat. § 21a-278(b)
- Connecticut Gen. Stat. § 21a-278a(a)(b)
Hash & Concentrates
S.B. 1201 was signed into law on June 22, 2021. The personal use provisions of the law took effect on July 1, 2021. It permits adults 21 and older to possess up to 1.5 ounces of cannabis flowers or an equivalent amount of cannabis concentrates in public.
The Connecticut statute uses the terms “Marijuana” and “Cannabis-type substance” to refer to plant Cannabis or any substance made from or with Cannabis, including hashish or concentrates. The terms are given the exact same definition in the statute. The term “Marijuana” is used to distinguish “Marijuana” from other hallucinogenic substances, whereas the term “Cannabis-type substance” is used to define penalties for possession of said substances. The penalties for all infractions involving hashish or marijuana concentrates are therefore the same as the penalties for all infractions involving plant marijuana.
- Connecticut Gen. Stat. §21a-240(7), (29)
Paraphernalia
Provisions do not detail any penalties for paraphernalia associated with
cannabis.
Distributing or possessing paraphernalia within 200 feet of an elementary/middle school is punishable by an additional 1 year of imprisonment.
- Connecticut Gen. Stat. § 21a-267
- Connecticut Gen. Stat. § 21a-267(c)
Forfeiture
Any item used for the cultivation or distribution of marijuana is subject to forfeiture. This includes vehicles or aircraft that are used to transport marijuana for the purpose of distributing it.
- Connecticut Gen. Stat. 21a-246
More Information
Drugged Driving
Every state criminalizes driving under the influence of a controlled substance. Some jurisdictions also impose additional per se laws. In their strictest form, these laws forbid drivers from operating a motor vehicle if they have a detectable level of an illicit drug or drug metabolite (i.e., compounds produced from chemical changes of a drug in the body, but not necessarily psychoactive themselves) present in their bodily fluids above a specific, state-imposed threshold. Read further information about cannabinoids and their impact on psychomotor performance. Additional information regarding cannabinoids and proposed per se limits is available online.
Legalization
Generally, legalization means a policy that supports a legally controlled market for marijuana, where consumers can buy marijuana for personal use from a safe legal source.
Mandatory Minimum Sentence
When someone is convicted of an offense punishable by a mandatory minimum sentence, the judge must sentence the defendant to the mandatory minimum sentence or to a higher sentence. The judge has no power to sentence the defendant to less time than the mandatory minimum. A prisoner serving an MMS for a federal offense and for most state offenses will not be eligible for parole. Even peaceful marijuana smokers sentenced to “life MMS” must serve a life sentence with no chance of parole.
Medical Marijuana
This state has medical marijuana laws enacted. Modern research suggests that cannabis is a valuable aid in the treatment of a wide range of clinical applications. These include pain relief, nausea, spasticity, glaucoma, and movement disorders. Marijuana is also a powerful appetite stimulant and emerging research suggests that marijuana’s medicinal properties may protect the body against some types of malignant tumors, and are neuroprotective.
Tax Stamps
This state has a marijuana tax stamp law enacted. This law mandates that those who possess marijuana are legally required to purchase and affix state-issued stamps onto his or her contraband. Failure to do so may result in a fine and/or criminal sanction.