It was the year 2014 when the people living in the state of Connecticut first voted on a law related to the encouragement of hemp production. They passed House Bill 5476, and the following year they passed a Senate Bill 5780 that legalized industrial hemp and all its derivates, clearly separating hemp from marijuana.
CBD Oil in the Constitution State
The first talks about legalizing industrial hemp in Connecticut were done in 2014, and in 2015, an act legalizing industrial hemp in Connecticut was enacted. This act was supplemented in 2017, with the passing of Senate Bill 603, encouraging the development of the industrial hemp industry in Connecticut. Today, the people of Connecticut can find all types of CBD product in retail stores near them and order them online.
Read on to learn the basics about CBD, more about the legal status and the available purchase options for CBD oil in Connecticut.
CBD Basics
CBD is short for cannabidiol, which is the most abundant cannabinoid in the hemp (a variety of the cannabis plant). This compound has many beneficial effects on the health of humans. It can boost the body’s immune system, help with pain management, relieve anxiety, and help with nausea, PTSD, glaucoma, HIV/AIDS, cancer, and a lot more. It is different from THC, which derives from the marijuana plant (another variety of cannabis), as it has no psychoactive effects at all.
CBD is becoming more popular and people constantly try new delivery methods. Today CBD can be found in products ranging from simple CBD oils, CBD gel capsules, CBD-infused edibles, CBD vape liquids, CBD-infused bath bombs, CBD cosmetics, and even CBD waters.
Many people still select the oldest delivery method – smoking CBD-rich strains in order to gain the desired CBD effects. There are many CBD-rich strains, and here I’ll tell you about two.
- Remedy – a mix between two powerful strains, the Remedy strain has about 15% CBD and negligible amounts of THC. This makes it a perfect strain for people that are after the medicinal effects, such as pain relief, stress relief, seizures, help with inflammation, sleep aid and even help with anxiety and PTSD. This strain has yellowish buds and produces a smooth, lemon-scented smoke that gradually puts the body in a relaxed, pain-free state.
- Ringo’s Gift – a cross between ACDC and Harle-Tsu, this is a powerful CBD-rich strain that was named in honor of Lawrence Ringo, one of the first CBD activists. Sometimes this strain can have a THC vs. CBD ratio of 1:1, but most often it goes much higher in favor of CBD, up to 1:24 THC vs. CBD. It produces an earthy, slightly citrusy smelling smoke that provides a full-body relaxation, at the same time providing pain and stress relief and helps with inflammation. The good thing about Ringo’s Gift is that it does not make people lazy and useless, but provides a good cerebral buzz that allows people to go about their day pain-free.
Connecticut CBD Laws
The state of Connecticut has legalized industrial hemp with House Bill 5780, clearly differentiating the industrial hemp plant from the marijuana plant and removing this plant from the list of controlled substances, aligning the regulations with the Farm Bill. This gave way for the sales of CBD products in the Provisions State.
2017 brought another law, this one related to authorization of the production of hemp in Connecticut, and it is expected that the first crops of industrial hemp will be grown here in 2019.
Medical marijuana
The use of marijuana for medical purposes is legal in Connecticut and has been since 2012. This state regulates the sales via state-licensed dispensaries, and the patients need to have a registered status to be eligible to use marijuana medicinally. There are 31 qualifying conditions, such as ALS, cancer, cerebral palsy, cystic fibrosis, glaucoma, hydrocephalus, seizures, PTSD, multiple sclerosis and more. Today there are nine licensed dispensaries in Connecticut and there are about 34 thousand registered patients.
Minors that have a debilitating medical condition can use marijuana since 2016, but it has to be in another delivery method apart from inhaling, smoking and vaping it. There are projections that the sales of medical marijuana in Connecticut will continue to rise and reach about $103 million by 2022.
Weed in the Nutmeg State
The use of marijuana for recreational purposes is not allowed in Connecticut. Still, it is decriminalized to some degree, with no prison sentence for possession of less than a half an ounce of weed for personal possession. However, anyone caught will have to pay a fine, and anything over ½ oz will be punished accordingly.
The surrounding states have taken a path of completely legalizing the recreational use of marijuana, and many Connecticuters are expected to go over state lines to neighboring Massachusetts and enjoy weed. That is why there are talks about a bill that will pave the way for allowing the recreational use of marijuana, by the example of other states that have done this and have thriving economies.
CBD oil purchase options in Connecticut
It is legal to buy a CBD product in Connecticut, and stores carry CBD-based products. There are specific stores specializing in CBD products in New Haven, Worcester, Newton, Stratford, and other cities. According to the Connecticut laws related to hemp products, the CBD products need to less than 1% THC.
Because many times, the product labels don’t have all the necessary info on the percentages of THC and CBD in the products, people need to go online and check the official websites of the manufacturers. Seeing as you need to verify the trustworthiness of the CBD manufacturers, you can make an order on any of the sites recommended on this page picking up any CBD product you like and have them delivered to your home, often with no extra shipping costs.
Final Thoughts
The people of Connecticut can freely enjoy the benefits of CBD, as its use was legalized in this state in 2015, and soon the state will have the first hemp farms with the implementation of an agricultural industrial hemp pilot program.
The Connecticotian people can use marijuana for medicinal purposes, provided they are registered, have a diagnosis for a severe medical condition and have a doctor’s prescription. The recreational use of marijuana will have to wait a while, with some talks about legalizing it, but nothing concise yet. As for buying CBD product in Connecticut, people can either go to one of the CBD retailers or order online.
