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CT Mirror
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by Mariana Navarrete Villegas, CT Mirror
January 28, 2026
Connecticut patients registered under the state’s medical marijuana program receive tax-free cannabis products. But items purchased under the recreational, or Adult-Use Cannabis Program, are subject to several taxes in Connecticut.
To obtain tax-free cannabis, patients’ health care providers must certify that they have an approved condition on the state’s eligible list and patients then register with the Department of Consumer Protection.
The Adult-Use Cannabis market, on the other hand, serves all adults 21 years or older and registration is not required. Cannabis purchased, however, is subject to a 6.35% sales tax, 3% tax to municipalities and a cannabis tax based on milligrams of THC.
Medical cannabis can be more potent in Connecticut, but because the market is so small, it’s not seen as a profitable business for manufacturers and retailers, contributing to a drop in the state’s sales, according to a report by CT Insider.
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Mariana Navarrete Villegas is a Community Engagement Reporter for The Connecticut Mirror, covering Hartford. She recently graduated from the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism with a master’s degree in Bilingual Journalism. Previously, she was the Community Engagement and Video Assistant at Epicenter-NYC and a Podcast Intern at The Take, Al Jazeera English’s daily news podcast. As a reporter, she has covered stories from New York to Florida, California, Panama, and Mexico, focusing on labor rights, immigration, and community care. She also hosts ‘La Chismesita,’ a community radio show in New York that archives oral histories through conversations with women community leaders. Originally from Mexico, Mariana spent her teenage years in Panama. She holds a B.A. in Global Studies with a minor in Psychology from Saint Leo University, where she interned at the International Rescue Committee.