By Adam Jackson
Connecticut will allow adult-use cannabis sales next month, regulators announced on Friday. The Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection (DCP) notified licensed hybrid retailers, those that already have medical marijuana establishments, that they may begin selling cannabis products to all adults 21 and over no earlier than 10 a.m. on Jan. 10, 2023.
“We know that many people are excited to participate in this marketplace, whether as a business or a consumer, and we encourage adults who choose to purchase and consume these products to do so responsibly once sales begin on January 10,” DCP Commissioner Michelle H. Seagull said in a statement.
Customers will only be able to buy up to a quarter of an ounce of cannabis flower at a time, or its equivalent, per transaction “to ensure businesses are able to maintain adequate supply for both adult-use consumers and medical marijuana patients.”
DCP said that limits will be reviewed over time and medical patients can still buy up to five ounces over a month’s span.
Examples of what a quarter ounce of marijuana flower or its equivalent might look like include:
- Up to seven pre-rolls that weigh one gram each, or 14 pre-rolled cigarettes that weigh half a gram each – any combination up to seven total grams.
- 2-4 vape cartridges, which come in 0.5 and one milliliter sizes.
- A standard-sized brownie or cookie can be the equivalent of 0.08 grams of cannabis flower. One edible serving cannot have more than 5 milligrams of THC.
“There has always been sort of an understanding since the law was passed that the medical businesses that convert would likely be the first to open just because they are existing businesses. So, it’s a little bit easier for them to keep their doors open. They don’t have to build anything else. These businesses that are opening so far are all converted,” a DCP spokesperson told Green Market Report. “I believe all of them have equity joint ventures, but their equity joint venture partners aren’t ready to open quite yet.”
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She added that the department expects such businesses to open “in the near future.”
The Social Equity Council determined on Tuesday that existing medical marijuana producers have met the requirements for an expanded license that allows them to supply both the adult-use cannabis and medical marijuana markets. The law requires at least 250,000 square feet of growing and manufacturing space in the aggregate be approved for adult-use production before retail sales can begin at licensed retailers, including hybrid retailers.
Gov. Ned Lamont, a staunch supporter of state legalization throughout his term, shared the news on Twitter and separately announced earlier this week that the state would be automatically clearing the records of low-level convictions for thousands of people when the new year turns.
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President Joe Biden echoed his support, calling it “great news for Connecticut families who’ve been impacted by our nation’s failed approach to marijuana.” Biden recently opened up a review among federal agencies to reconsider the scheduling of the plant.
This is great news for Connecticut families who’ve been impacted by our nation’s failed approach to marijuana.
No one should be imprisoned solely due to the possession of marijuana. https://t.co/grdlDm0cHR
— President Biden (@POTUS) December 7, 2022
This article originally appeared on Green Market Report and has been reposted with permission.
