A new state law that allows adults to legally use and possess marijuana as of Thursday brought relief to some longtime users, while others said they may give it a try for the first time.
Under the new law, people older than 21 can have up to 1.5 ounces of marijuana on their person and no more than 5 ounces in their homes or locked in car trunks or glove boxes.
While some residents and legislative leaders believe that cannabis can be a gateway drug to more severe drugs, Terry Regan, a resident of West Suffield, who once battled an oxycodone addiction, said that marijuana helped him return to a normal life.
“They call it a gateway drug but I am here to tell you it’s the opposite,” Regan said. “That simple plant pulled me from the a darkness most can’t imagine.”
He added, “It meant that the smiles on my and my friend’s faces seemed real again. I’m not talking about smoking a bale of weed per day, simply a joint or two over the course of a day.”
Residents who have a medical marijuana card are now able to cultivate up to six cannabis plants — three mature and three immature — inside their homes beginning Oct. 1, while all other residents over age 21 can grow the same number beginning July 1, 2023.
Manchester resident Rachel Meneses said cannabis helped with her cancer as well as arthritis-related pain.
“I have no preference, as long as it’s from reputable licensed dispensaries. If it’s not lab-tested for quality control and not pesticide free, I’m steering clear of it. Having legal options is so much better than getting stuff from other states or from illegal sources,” Meneses said.
Josh Pippen, a Windsor Locks resident, supports the legalization.
“I think it’s a great idea, I smoke myself, and I have back and knee problems,” he said. “It helps the pain sufficiently.”
Nancy Miller of South Windsor said she hopes cannabis will be able to help combat physical pain.
“I’m also looking at weed for my anxiety, stress, and possible other issues. The only thing I don’t want is to feel ‘stoned,’” Miller said.
East Windsor resident Chandra Lynn said she believes the legalization will lead people to view marijuana in a different way.
“I have known many people who’ve used it, most of them are highly intelligent professional adults. I think the stigma surrounding it was so propagandized early on and lasted for decades, it’s taken a really long time to overcome,” Lynn said.
Some people, like Angela Jones of Windsor Locks, said they plan to try cannabis for the first time now that it’s legal.
Sean Rioual, another Windsor Locks resident, said the only change with the legalization is how cannabis users are viewed in relation to the legal system.
“We were once viewed in the same light as criminals, and, poof, with the stroke of someone else’s pen we are law-abiding citizens,” Rioual said.