COLORADO: Gov. Jared Polis signed a bill into law this week increasing the amount of cannabis adults can legally possess from one ounce to two ounces. It also streamlines the record-sealing process for past cannabis possession convictions and expands record-sealing eligibility to include additional cannabis offenses. The new law takes effect immediately.

In 2012, voters approved Amendment 64, making possession of up to one ounce of cannabis legal for adults 21 and older under the state constitution. Possession of between one and two ounces of cannabis remained unlawful because a previously existing Colorado statute classified possession of up to two ounces as a petty offense.

HB21-1090, sponsored by Rep. Alex Valdez and Sen. Julie Gonazales, eliminates the offense for possession of up to two ounces of cannabis, thereby increasing the legal possession limit from one ounce to two ounces for adults 21 and older. It also preserves the illegal status of possessing any amount of cannabis for people under 21.

Bringing the legal possession limit into alignment with the historical classification for lowest-level possession offenses is also expected to reduce the administrative burden associated with sealing the records of past possession offenses.