Where can you smoke weed in Connecticut?
Smoking weed in Connecticut is generally off limits anywhere tobacco smoking is off limits. DCP says you generally cannot smoke or vape cannabis anywhere you cannot smoke or vape tobacco. State law also bans smoking in restaurants and public areas of stores, and DCP says cannabis use is prohibited in state parks and on state beaches and waters.
State law defines a consumer as an individual who is twenty-one years of age or older, and that is who this page is written for. For the rest of the state's adult-use rules, start with our Connecticut cannabis laws guide.
No smoking or vaping where tobacco is banned
The Department of Consumer Protection (DCP) explains in its plain-language article on where you can use cannabis that you generally cannot smoke or vape cannabis anywhere you cannot smoke or vape tobacco. So if a no-smoking or no-vaping rule covers a place, read it as covering cannabis too.
Why restaurants and stores are off the table
The state smoking statute, chapter 368m, prohibits smoking in any restaurant and in any area of a retail establishment accessed by the general public, and it defines smoking to include cannabis. A restaurant dining room, a store aisle and a checkout line all fall inside that ban. The Connecticut Business and Industry Association (CBIA) adds a distance rule for the sidewalk: it wrote that someone walking down a sidewalk within 25 feet of the doors to restaurants and other businesses can no longer smoke.
That goes for our counters in Derby and Hartford too. DCP says on-site consumption of cannabis is not allowed at cannabis establishments at this time, so you can shop with us, but you cannot use what you buy in the store. Questions before you buy? Call us at 860-420-BUDS (2837), the number for both stores.
Renting a home or staying in a hotel
If you rent, check your lease for a smoking or vaping clause before you light anything indoors. A landlord can bar smoking and vaping at home, DCP says, yet generally cannot bar possession or consumption of other forms of cannabis, such as the products on our edibles aisle. Plant limits for growing at home are a separate set of rules, covered in our guide to growing cannabis at home.
Under the state cannabis statute, chapter 420h, hotels and motels must prohibit smoking and vaping cannabis in any location, but they may not prohibit legal possession or consumption in nonpublic areas.
State parks, beaches and town ordinances
DCP says cannabis use is prohibited in state parks and on state beaches and waters. That ban covers every form of cannabis, edibles included, not only smoking and vaping.
For public spots off state land, DCP says cities and towns may enact ordinances to regulate whether and where cannabis can be consumed in public. The answer can change at a town line, so before using cannabis anywhere public, check the ordinances of the town you will be in.
Before you drive
DCP says cannabis should not be consumed before or during operation of a motor vehicle. If you are driving home from Derby or Hartford, sort out your ride before you use anything, not after. Our guide to driving and cannabis in Connecticut covers the road rules in more detail.
Questions shoppers ask about using cannabis
Can I smoke weed in a rented apartment?
Not if your landlord bans it, which DCP says landlords may do for smoking and vaping at home. For adults 21 or older who rent, DCP also says landlords generally may not prohibit possession or consumption of other forms of cannabis. Check your lease for a smoking or vaping clause first.
Can I use cannabis in a hotel room?
Hotels and motels must prohibit smoking and vaping cannabis in any location, but they may not prohibit legal possession or consumption in nonpublic areas. So smoking or vaping is out at a hotel, including in a room, while other forms may be allowed in nonpublic areas. For guests 21 or older, the front desk can explain house rules before you check in.
Can I use what I buy at your store while I am still there?
No. DCP says on-site consumption of cannabis is not allowed at cannabis establishments at this time, and that covers our Derby and Hartford counters. You can shop with us and take your purchase with you, but not use it in the store. That applies to adults 21 or older who shop with us.
Can you use cannabis in state parks or on state beaches?
No. DCP says cannabis use is prohibited in state parks and on state beaches and waters. That covers every form of cannabis, edibles included, and not only smoking and vaping. These state rules apply to adults 21 or older too, and a different town line does not change them. For public spots off state land, the next question applies.
Can a town set its own rules on using cannabis in public?
Yes. For adults 21 or older, DCP says cities and towns may enact ordinances to regulate whether and where cannabis can be consumed in public. The answer can change at a town line, so check the ordinances of the town you will be in before using cannabis anywhere public. Contact the town clerk or the town's own website if the rule is not clear.
Can I use cannabis before driving?
No. DCP says cannabis should not be consumed before or during operation of a motor vehicle. That holds for adults 21 or older too, so the ride home gets sorted out before you use anything, not afterward. Our guide to driving and cannabis in Connecticut covers the road rules in more detail.
