Paging All Stoners–Toking Rules Starting July 1

Remember those days spilling out of your boneshaker followed by a cloud of skunky smoke choking the garage?

“What the hell is that!” your mother’s voice pierced through the fog.

“Jesus mom; that damn exhaust pipe.”

Speaking of pipes, come July 1 you don’t have to blame it on the exhaust. You may blow it out of your ears should you like, but there are some rules you must follow such as no lighting up inside public places, or a motor vehicle, even as a passenger. You cannot sell pot. You may float into oblivion on your own property even in plain site and may grow your own in two years, except if you’re a medical patient flowering starts this Oct. 1, up to three mature and three immature plants, inside your home.

It’s anticipated stores will sell pot next summer. Still, some rules are a bit murky. Can Alice Cooper light up on the Bridgeport amphitheater stage with concert promoter Jim Koplik? Fans? All together now …

Bridgeport State Rep. Steve Stafstrom, House chairman of the legislature’s Judiciary Committee, a key sponsor of the pot bill, shares some general regulations with CT Post’s Dan Haar.

Can I smoke pot in public after the bill goes into effect?

As with tobacco, smoking pot is prohibited in public buildings, most workplaces and stores, state parks and lots of other places. “The bottom line is, anyplace that smoking tobacco is illegal, either smoking or vaping cannabis will also be illegal,” Stafstrom explained. The bill expands the no-smoking list to include areas within 25 feet of any doors, windows or intake vents of public buildings. That means you can’t walk down a sidewalk smoking a joint if it’s within 25 feet of a store–but that provision doesn’t kick in until Oct. 1 of this year. As for walking down the street in a residential area, that’s open to interpretation by police so it’s not yet clear. An example of the complexity: The bill gives cities and towns a lot of leeway to determine whether smoking marijuana is allowed on property they own or control, such as local parks.

How much am I allowed to possess starting July 1?

You can carry up to 1.5 ounces of “plant material” or equivalent in other forms. In addition, you can have up to 5 ounces in a locked container at home or in a locked glove compartment or the trunk of your car.

Full story here.