Marijuana is not just for smoking anymore.
Cannabis will be legal to possess for recreational use as of July 1 in Connecticut. The law specifies how much weed one person may legally possess, but it’s not just the actual plant material, colloquially called “flower.”
Many users eat or drink their cannabis, in the form of THC-infused seltzer, gummy candies, chocolate bars or cookies, all sold in legal dispensaries in other states, including Massachusetts.
Here are some details about THC-infused edibles, and how Connecticut’s newly signed law regulates them:
Are there limits to how many edibles I can legally possess?
Yes. In terms of flower, what the law calls “cannabis plant material,” people of legal age can possess 1.5 ounces, plus “five ounces of such material in a locked container in the person’s residence or locked glove box or trunk in the person’s motor vehicle.”
The amount of edibles that are legal to own is based on that limit. According to an Office of Legislative Research analysis, “1.5 ounces of cannabis plant material is equivalent to 7.5 grams of cannabis concentrate or any other cannabis products with up to 750 milligrams of THC.”
The bill specifies that 5 ounces is “equivalent to 25 grams of cannabis concentrate,” with a limit of 2,500 milligrams of THC in any cannabis product.
How much THC can be in each individual edible?
Every serving of a cannabis edible product must be clearly marked with the dosage of THC. With some exceptions, most notably marijuana for medical use, each individual serving of edible cannabis product may contain no more than 5 milligrams of THC.
Some states allow for more THC in each single serving — California, for example, allows for 10 milligrams of THC per serving — but the Massachusetts limit is similar to the one in Connecticut.
Massachusetts allows for a limit of 5 milligrams of THC per serving, but specifies there may be no more than 20 servings per package.
Are edibles taxed differently?
Yes. Sales of cannabis plant material will be taxed at a rate of 0.625 cents per milligram of total THC. Edibles are taxed at a much higher rate, 2.75 cents per milligram of total THC.
Both flower and edibles are also subject to an additional 3 percent municipal cannabis sales tax, which is in addition to the state’s existing 6.35 percent sales tax and the cannabis tax.
What about packaging?
The law specifies that all cannabis products sold in the state must be clearly identified, and be in a child-proof package.
The amounts of all active ingredients, including THC and cannabidiol (called CBD) must be clearly marked. Packages must also clearly show “product tracking information sufficient to determine where and when the cannabis was grown and manufactured so that a product recall could be effectuated,” the OLR report says.
All cannabis packaging must also be opaque and display a recommended expiration date.