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Category: Gov. Ned Lamont

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Connecticut Takes in $21 Million in Legal Weed Sales for April

May 12, 2023 Published by

Legal marijuana sales in Connecticut remain stable, with the state reporting $21 million in revenue from medical and adult-use cannabis in April.

The figures, reported on Wednesday by the state Department of Consumer Protection, showed that the newly launched adult-use market recorded $10.2 million in the month of April, while the medical cannabis market brought in $11.4 million.

The $21 million in total sales was only slightly below the sales for the month of March, when the state reported about $22 million in cannabis sales.

The $10.2 million in adult-use sales in April represented a new high for the state’s recreational cannabis market, which launched in January. 

Previous sales totals for the adult-use market were $9.5 million in March, $7 million in February and $5.1 million in the inaugural month of January.

The Department of Consumer Protection on Wednesday also provided other figures from April’s sales totals, reporting that medical cannabis patients “purchased 314,985 products, and adult-use consumers purchased 259,499.” 

“The average product price for Medical Marijuana patients was $36.51 in April, while the average price of adult-use products was $39.58,” the agency reported. 

More from the department: 

“This data was collected through the state’s Seed-to-Sale Tracking System. DCP does not make revenue projections, set sales expectations, collect taxes, or regulate prices. The preliminary data does not include taxes collected at the point of sale on adult-use transactions and is subject to further review by the department. Medical marijuana patients do not pay taxes on the purchase of their medicine…Sales data for the medical marijuana market is not available prior to Jan. 10, 2023. Seed-to-sale tracking was not previously required for medical marijuana sales. Adult-use and medical marijuana sales are now recorded in BioTrack, the inventory tracking system used to monitor the movement of cannabis products in the state’s medical and adult-use cannabis markets. Transaction limits of 1/4 ounce of raw flower or the equivalent remain in effect for all adult-use purchases. Medical marijuana patients may purchase up to 5 ounces per month and are not subject to individual transaction limits. The Department will make future data available at ct.gov/cannabis. The data will be updated monthly on or after the 10th of each month, and new data will continue to be added as it becomes available.”

Connecticut legalized recreational cannabis for adults aged 21 and older in 2021, when Democratic Gov. Ned Lamont signed a bill that ended the prohibition and laid the groundwork for the market that launched in January.

“That’s why I introduced a bill and worked hard with our partners in the legislature and other stakeholders to create a comprehensive framework for a securely regulated market that prioritizes public health, public safety, social justice, and equity. It will help eliminate the dangerous unregulated market and support a new, growing sector of our economy which will create jobs,” Lamont said at the time. “By allowing adults to possess cannabis, regulating its sale and content, training police officers in the latest techniques of detecting and preventing impaired driving, and expunging the criminal records of people with certain cannabis crimes, we’re not only effectively modernizing our laws and addressing inequities, we’re keeping Connecticut economically competitive with our neighboring states.” 

In December, Lamont announced that, as part of the new cannabis law, he was expunging around 44,000 low level pot-related convictions. 

“Especially as Connecticut employers seek to fill hundreds of thousands of job openings, an old conviction for low-level cannabis possession should not hold someone back from pursuing their career, housing, professional, and educational aspirations,” the governor, who was re-elected to a second term in November, said in a statement at the time.

The post Connecticut Takes in $21 Million in Legal Weed Sales for April appeared first on High Times.

Connecticut Cannabis Sales Top $18 Million in February

March 14, 2023 Published by

Licensed cannabis sales topped $18 million in Connecticut during February, the first full month of regulated recreational marijuana sales in the state. Sales of adult-use cannabis began on January 10, only seven months after lawmakers passed legislation to legalize and regulate recreational marijuana.

Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont signed legislation to end the prohibition of recreational marijuana in June 2021, legalizing the possession of cannabis by adults 21 and older and creating a framework for regulated adult-use sales. The measure also included restorative justice and social equity measures, including provisions that led to the expungement of nearly 43,000 marijuana-related convictions at the beginning of the year.

The Connecticut legislature passed a bill to legalize the medicinal use of cannabis in 2012, leading to the launch of legal medical marijuana sales to patients with qualifying debilitating medical conditions in September 2014. Regulated sales of adult-use cannabis began in Connecticut at seven of the state’s existing medical marijuana dispensaries on January 10.

“Today marks a turning point in the injustices caused by the war on drugs, most notably now that there is a legal alternative to the dangerous, unregulated, underground market for cannabis sales,” Lamont said in a statement last month. “Together with our partners in the legislature and our team of professionals at the Department of Consumer Protection, we’ve carefully crafted a securely regulated market that prioritizes public health, public safety, social justice, and equity. I look forward to continuing our efforts to ensure that this industry remains inclusive and safe as it develops.”

Cannabis Sales Data Released On Friday

Last week, the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection (DCP) released cannabis sales figures for February of this year, the first full calendar month of regulated adult-use cannabis. According to data provided by the department on Friday, total regulated sales of marijuana for the month came to more than $18.4 million. Total adult-use cannabis purchases in the state totaled about $7.02 million from February 1 through February 28, while medical marijuana sales contributed approximately $11.4 million to the monthly total.

Registered medical marijuana patients purchased 316,644 cannabis products in Connecticut last month, while adults 21 and older bought 168,565 adult-use cannabis items. Since the launch of recreational marijuana sales last month, the DCP’s Drug Control Division has approved more than 600 new brand names for products that may be sold in both the medical marijuana market and the adult-use market.

The DCP collected the cannabis sales data with its BioTrack seed-to-sale tracking system, which monitors the production, distribution and sale of all medical marijuana and adult-use cannabis merchandise in the state. In a press release, the department noted that it does not regulate prices, set sales expectations, or make revenue projections for Connecticut’s licensed cannabis market. 

The department noted that cannabis sales information will be made public on or about the tenth day of each month. All data is subject to further review by the DCP. Because Connecticut’s seed-to-sale tracking system was not operational until last month, sales figures for the medical marijuana market prior to January 10 are not available.

Purchase Limits On Recreational Weed in Connecticut

To ensure that there is a sufficient supply of cannabis for the state’s medical marijuana patients, purchases of recreational marijuana are currently limited to a quarter ounce of cannabis flower per transaction. Medical marijuana patients are permitted to buy up to five ounces of cannabis per month, with no quantity limits on individual transactions. 

In its notice last week, the DCP reminded consumers and patients that information about responsible cannabis use and the potential health risks of using marijuana is available online.

“Adults who choose to consume cannabis are reminded to do so responsibly, including storing cannabis products in their original packaging, locked up and out of reach of children and pets,” the department noted in its press release. “Resources regarding responsible cannabis use, as well as information about addiction and health risks is available at ct.gov/cannabis.”

The post Connecticut Cannabis Sales Top $18 Million in February appeared first on High Times.

Yale Announces New Cannabis Research Center

February 3, 2023 Published by

One of the country’s most prestigious academic institutions will be home to a new research center dedicated to studying cannabis. 

The Yale School of Medicine announced the creation this week of “a research center to study the acute and chronic effects of cannabis and cannabinoids on neurodevelopment and mental health.”

Called the “Yale Center for the Science of Cannabis and Cannabinoids,” the center “will be led by Deepak Cyril D’Souza, MD, Albert E. Kent Professor of Psychiatry and a leading expert on the pharmacology of cannabinoids.”

The announcement comes only weeks after Connecticut, where the elite Ivy League university is located, launched legal recreational cannabis sales. 

After the regulated marijuana market went live, D’Souza sounded the alarm on cannabis use among young people. 

“It’s easy for adolescents to get their hands on tobacco and alcohol and why do we think that’s not going to be the case with cannabis,” D’Souza told local news station WTNH.

“Exposure to cannabis … in adolescents has been associated with the development of some serious psychiatric disorders including schizophrenia and other psychosis,” D’Souza added, as quoted by the station.

The center, which was announced by the university on Monday, will be funded initially by “the Department of Psychiatry, with support from the dean’s office.”

“Funding will support pilot studies toward the development of a P50-type center grant application…” the university said in the announcement, noting that those interested in applying for funding must contact D’Souza.

According to a press release about the new cannabis research center, university leaders “said in their announcement that the launch of the center comes at a time of rapid commercialization of cannabis across the United States,” and that the new “center will use a multipronged and multidisciplinary approach to study the acute and chronic effects of cannabis and cannabinoids.” 

Legal recreational pot sales kicked off in Connecticut last month. According to WTNH, the first week of sales brought in more than $2 million. 

The state legalized marijuana in 2021, when Democratic Gov. Ned Lamont, who was elected to another term in last year’s election, signed a bill into law.

“That’s why I introduced a bill and worked hard with our partners in the legislature and other stakeholders to create a comprehensive framework for a securely regulated market that prioritizes public health, public safety, social justice, and equity. It will help eliminate the dangerous unregulated market and support a new, growing sector of our economy which will create jobs,” Lamont said in a signing statement at the time. “By allowing adults to possess cannabis, regulating its sale and content, training police officers in the latest techniques of detecting and preventing impaired driving, and expunging the criminal records of people with certain cannabis crimes, we’re not only effectively modernizing our laws and addressing inequities, we’re keeping Connecticut economically competitive with our neighboring states.” 

Lamont announced in December that, as part of the state’s new cannabis law, about 44,000 individuals would have their prior marijuana convictions expunged at the beginning of 2023.

“On January 1, thousands of people in Connecticut will have low-level cannabis convictions automatically erased due to the cannabis legalization bill we enacted last year,” Lamont said in a statement at the time. “Especially as Connecticut employers seek to fill hundreds of thousands of job openings, an old conviction for low-level cannabis possession should not hold someone back from pursuing their career, housing, professional, and educational aspirations.”

The post Yale Announces New Cannabis Research Center appeared first on High Times.

Connecticut Lawmakers Propose Changes to Recreational Pot Program

January 20, 2023 Published by

Legal marijuana sales in Connecticut are barely a week old, but lawmakers there are already mulling changes to the new law.

CTPost reports that the opening days of the state’s legislative session have proposed a slate of new regulations over the cannabis program, including “changes to how the state issues cannabis licenses to efforts to further decriminalize the drug and increase safety labeling requirements.” 

The proposals, the outlet noted, “have varying chances of successfully becoming law.”

CTPost has more on the various proposals being floated by Connecticut lawmakers: 

“House Majority Leader Jason Rojas, D-East Hartford, is proposing changes to the application fees for various cannabis licenses. Instead of a flat rate, application fees would be on a graduated scale and an applicant would have to pay more to submit a higher number of applications. The proposal is aimed at addressing the number of applicants who paid hundreds of thousands of dollars in application fees to improve their chances of winning a license through the lottery. Application fees vary depending on license type and whether the applicant qualifies for social equity status or not. Social equity applicants pay lower fees than non-equity applicants. Another bill introduced by Rojas would allow cannabis businesses to deduct certain expenses from their state tax returns. Several states in recent years have moved to allow cannabis companies to write off expenses on their state tax bills even though the drug is still federally prohibited. Supporters of the proposal said it would enable operators in the marijuana industry to be treated the same as most other businesses, which can write off expenses such as rent, salaries and wages, and advertising costs on their state tax returns.”

According to CTPost, a legislative committee “plans to look at further regulation of cannabis, whether to provide hemp farmers with an expedited pathway to grow recreational cannabis, and consider recommendations from the Social Equity Council, which is responsible for ensuring equity in Connecticut’s legal cannabis market.”

Legal recreational marijuana sales began last week in Connecticut, as seven established medical cannabis dispensaries in the state entered the adult-use cannabis market. 

The state’s Democratic governor, Ned Lamont, signed a bill in 2021 that legalized recreational pot for adults in Connecticut. 

“That’s why I introduced a bill and worked hard with our partners in the legislature and other stakeholders to create a comprehensive framework for a securely regulated market that prioritizes public health, public safety, social justice, and equity. It will help eliminate the dangerous unregulated market and support a new, growing sector of our economy which will create jobs,” Lamont said after signing the bill into law. “By allowing adults to possess cannabis, regulating its sale and content, training police officers in the latest techniques of detecting and preventing impaired driving, and expunging the criminal records of people with certain cannabis crimes, we’re not only effectively modernizing our laws and addressing inequities, we’re keeping Connecticut economically competitive with our neighboring states.” 

Last month, Lamont announced that approximately 44,000 individuals in Connecticut would have their low-level marijuana convictions expunged from their records at the start of the new year.

“On January 1, thousands of people in Connecticut will have low-level cannabis convictions automatically erased due to the cannabis legalization bill we enacted last year,” Lamont said in a statement at the time. “Especially as Connecticut employers seek to fill hundreds of thousands of job openings, an old conviction for low-level cannabis possession should not hold someone back from pursuing their career, housing, professional, and educational aspirations.”

Lamont was elected to a second term in November’s election.

The post Connecticut Lawmakers Propose Changes to Recreational Pot Program appeared first on High Times.

Connecticut Expunges Nearly 43,000 Cannabis Convictions

January 6, 2023 Published by

Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont announced on Sunday that the state has expunged nearly 43,000 convictions for marijuana-related offenses. The cannabis convictions were cleared under Connecticut’s marijuana legalization bill, which Lamont signed into law in June 2021.

“As of this morning, our administration has marked 42,964 cannabis convictions erased, as planned,” Lamont tweeted on January 1. “It’s one step forward in ending the War on Drugs and giving our citizens a second chance to achieve their dreams.”

The announcement came less than two weeks before the launch of regulated sales, which are scheduled to commence in the state on January 10. Lamont noted in December that Connecticut’s cannabis legalization statute grants the state the authority to issue mass clemency for marijuana-related offenses. Under the plan announced at the time, all convictions for cannabis possession of less than four ounces recorded between January 1, 2000 and September 30, 2015, will be automatically cleared, requiring no action from affected individuals. 

“On January 1, thousands of people in Connecticut will have low-level cannabis convictions automatically erased due to the cannabis legalization bill we enacted last year,” Lamont said in a statement on December 6. “Especially as Connecticut employers seek to fill hundreds of thousands of job openings, an old conviction for low-level cannabis possession should not hold someone back from pursuing their career, housing, professional, and educational aspirations.”

Those with other minor marijuana-related convictions including possession of less than four ounces of marijuana imposed before January 1, 2000, and between October 1, 2015, and June 30, 2021, and possession of marijuana paraphernalia can petition the court to have their records cleared. Convictions prior to July 1, 2021, for “manufacturing, selling, possessing with intent to sell, or giving or administering to another person a cannabis-type substance and the amount involved was under four ounces or six plants grown inside a person’s home for personal use,” are also eligible for relief from the court.

Action Follows Biden’s Federal Cannabis Pardons

The pardons in Connecticut follow an executive order from President Joseph Biden in October pardoning all federal convictions for simple marijuana possession. The president’s pardons will affect about 6,500 people who were convicted of marijuana possession under federal law and thousands more in the District of Columbia, according to a report from The New York Times. At the time, the president also called on the nation’s governors to take similar action at the state level and directed the heads of the Department of Health and Human Services and the Justice Department to review the federal government’s listing of cannabis as a Schedule 1 drug under the Controlled Substances Act. 

“As I often said during my campaign for President, no one should be in jail just for using or possessing marijuana. Sending people to prison for possessing marijuana has upended too many lives and incarcerated people for conduct that many states no longer prohibit,” Biden said in a statement on October 6. “Criminal records for marijuana possession have also imposed needless barriers to employment, housing, and educational opportunities. And while white and Black and brown people use marijuana at similar rates, Black and brown people have been arrested, prosecuted, and convicted at disproportionate rates.”

Biden also late last month pardoned Edward Lincoln De Coito III, a 50-year-old decorated Army veteran who served a year in prison after pleading guilty to marijuana trafficking charges when he was 23 years old. At the same time, the president pardoned John Dix Nock III, a 72-year-old man “who pleaded guilty to one count of renting, as an owner, a place for the purpose of manufacturing marijuana plants,” according to a statement from the White House.

More Moves to Pardon Cannabis Convictions

Following Biden’s announcement, Oregon Gov. Kate Brown granted nearly 50,000 pardons for marijuana-related offenses. The governors of Kentucky and North Carolina, where marijuana has not yet been legalized, called on lawmakers in their states to take action on cannabis policy reform, according to a report from Marijuana Moment.

The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) noted in a statement that 24 states have now enacted legislation with provisions to provide relief for past cannabis convictions. Publicly available data compiled by NORML shows that state and local officials have issued over 100,000 pardons and more than 1.7 million marijuana-related expungements since 2018.

“Hundreds of thousands of Americans unduly carry the burden and stigma of a past conviction for behavior that most Americans, and a growing number of states, no longer consider to be a crime,” NORML deputy director Paul Armentano said in a statement from the cannabis reform advocacy group. “Our sense of justice and our principles of fairness demand that public officials and the courts move swiftly to right the past wrongs of cannabis prohibition and criminalization.”

The post Connecticut Expunges Nearly 43,000 Cannabis Convictions appeared first on Cannabis Now.

Connecticut Clears Nearly 43K Cannabis Convictions

January 4, 2023 Published by

On New Year’s Day, Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont announced that 42,964 cannabis convictions were processed to be erased. That number was fielded a month ago in Gov. Lamont’s initial announcement on Dec. 8, 2022.

The governor expressed how prior cannabis convictions shouldn’t be a detriment to a person’s chance at employment and other opportunities.

“As of this morning, our administration has marked 42,964 cannabis convictions erased, as planned,” Gov. Lamont tweeted. “It’s one step forward in ending the War on Drugs and giving our citizens a second chance to achieve their dreams.”

Many different reactions followed, mostly positive, with one Twitter user criticizing the governor as being “weak on crime.”

The move fulfills provisions included in legislation that the governor signed over a year ago. Gov. Lamont signed Senate Bill 1201 on June 22, 2021. That effectively made Connecticut the 19th state to legalize the adult use of cannabis. 

A proposal to legalize adult-use cannabis was initially put forward by the governor to the General Assembly as Senate Bill 888. He also proposed similar legislation in February 2020 as Senate Bill 16.

Connecticut residents with additional minor convictions on their records will be able to petition courts to seal their records under separate legislation. “Convictions for violations of … possession of less than or equal to four ounces of a cannabis-type substance imposed before January 1, 2000, and between October 1, 2015, and June 30, 2021,” the governor’s office said. “Convictions for violations of … possession with intent to use drug paraphernalia for cannabis imposed before July 1, 2021; [and] Convictions for violations … imposed before July 1, 2021, for manufacturing, selling, possessing with intent to sell, or giving or administering to another person a cannabis-type substance and the amount involved was under four ounces or six plants grown inside a person’s home for personal use.”

These types of convictions should not impact an individual’s ability to gain a job, the governor said last month.

“On Jan. 1, thousands of low-level cannabis convictions in Connecticut will be automatically erased due legislation we’ve enacted,” Gov. Lamont tweeted last month. “Especially as employers seek to fill job openings, an old conviction for low-level possession should not hold someone back from their aspirations.”

President Joe Biden also issued some additional pardons on Friday, including a few people with cannabis or other drug convictions. 

Connecticut Sales Begin

The Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection (DCP) announced that medical cannabis dispensaries that obtained a hybrid license can start selling adult-use cannabis as early as 10 am ET on January 10 next week.

“For decades, the war on cannabis caused injustices and created disparities while doing little to protect public health and safety,” Lamont said in a press release. “The law that I signed today begins to right some of those wrongs by creating a comprehensive framework for a regulated market that prioritizes public health, public safety, criminal justice and equity. It will help eliminate the dangerous, unregulated market and support a new and equitable sector of our economy that will create jobs.”

State officials said that they received over 15,000 applications for dispensary licenses prior to the deadline set in May 2022.

As in other states and cities that have legalized cannabis, Connecticut’s new law contained a significant social justice component, with provisions to award the first retail licenses to individuals from areas most adversely affected by long standing drug policies, and to clear the records of those with certain marijuana-related convictions.  

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Connecticut Governor To Expunge Thousands of Cannabis Convictions

December 8, 2022 Published by

Tens of thousands of Connecticut residents are in line to have their records cleared after the state’s Democratic governor announced Tuesday that he is expunging low-level cannabis possession convictions.

Gov. Ned Lamont’s office said in a press release that records “in approximately 44,000 cases will be fully or partially erased” next month by way of “an automated erasure method.”

“On January 1, thousands of people in Connecticut will have low-level cannabis convictions automatically erased due to the cannabis legalization bill we enacted last year,” Lamont said in a statement. “Especially as Connecticut employers seek to fill hundreds of thousands of job openings, an old conviction for low-level cannabis possession should not hold someone back from pursuing their career, housing, professional, and educational aspirations.”

The expungements are part of the state’s year-old cannabis law. In June 2021, Lamont signed a bill that legalized recreational cannabis use for adults and established the regulatory framework for a legal marijuana market. 

The state said that it received more than 15,000 applications for dispensary licenses prior to the deadline in May. 

Legal adult-use sales are expected to begin next year. 

As in other states and cities that have lifted the prohibition on pot, Connecticut’s new law contained a significant social justice component, with provisions to award the first retail licenses to individuals from areas most adversely affected by long standing drug policies, and to clear the records of those with certain marijuana-related convictions. 

“That’s why I introduced a bill and worked hard with our partners in the legislature and other stakeholders to create a comprehensive framework for a securely regulated market that prioritizes public health, public safety, social justice, and equity. It will help eliminate the dangerous unregulated market and support a new, growing sector of our economy which will create jobs,” Lamont said after signing the bill last year. “By allowing adults to possess cannabis, regulating its sale and content, training police officers in the latest techniques of detecting and preventing impaired driving, and expunging the criminal records of people with certain cannabis crimes, we’re not only effectively modernizing our laws and addressing inequities, we’re keeping Connecticut economically competitive with our neighboring states.” 

On Tuesday, Lamont’s office spelled out how the expungements will work in practice.

Residents “who have had their records erased may tell employers, landlords, and schools that the conviction never occurred,” the release said, while also providing details on eligibility for expungement.

“Convictions for violations…for possession of under four ounces of a non-narcotic, non-hallucinogenic substance imposed between January 1, 2000, and September 30, 2015, will be automatically erased on January 1, 2023,” the governor’s office said, adding that people “included under this provision of the law need not do anything to make these convictions eligible for erasure.”

The governor’s office said that the “Clean Slate automated erasure system is expected to be fully implemented during the second half of 2023,” implementation of which “involves significant information technology upgrades to allow criminal justice agencies to send and receive data to determine who can have their offenses erased and to update record systems.”

Other violations, including the following may also be erased, though individuals will have to file a petition to a court: “Convictions for violations of … possession of less than or equal to four ounces of a cannabis-type substance imposed before January 1, 2000, and between October 1, 2015, and June 30, 2021; Convictions for violations of … possession with intent to use drug paraphernalia for cannabis imposed before July 1, 2021; [and] Convictions for violations … imposed before July 1, 2021, for manufacturing, selling, possessing with intent to sell, or giving or administering to another person a cannabis-type substance and the amount involved was under four ounces or six plants grown inside a person’s home for personal use.”

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Adult-Use Cannabis Sales Expected To Begin in Connecticut in 2023

November 30, 2022 Published by

The Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection (DCP) recently informed three medical cannabis producers that they will receive an expanded producer license, which will allow them to work with both medical cannabis and adult-use cannabis products. 

DCP Commissioner Michelle H. Seagull said in a press release that this is one of the final steps toward a regulatory market sometime next year. “The Department’s priority is to have a safe, well-regulated marketplace for consumers,” said Seagull. “I am grateful to the Drug Control and Legal teams at DCP who have worked—and continue to work—tirelessly, since the passage of the law, toward a safe and successful market opening.”

Connecticut law states that sales can’t begin until 250,000 square feet of growing and manufacturing space is approved for adult-use. In a press release from the DCP, the department said that cannabis sales can’t proceed until the state’s four medical cannabis producers and cultivators have been approved. Currently, this includes Advanced Grow Labs LLC, Connecticut Pharmaceutical Solutions LLC, and Curaleaf LLC. One more application from Theraplant was received on Nov. 10, and the DCP is reviewing that application for license conversion.

Additionally, seven medical cannabis dispensaries also received confirmation that they’ve met the criteria for conversion to a hybrid cannabis license, however these do not contribute to the minimum 250,000 square footage requirement that will allow sales to begin.

Since Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont signed a bill to legalize recreational cannabis in June 2021, the DCP has continually grown its department to meet the anticipated demands of a growing industry. The Drug Control and Legal Divisions department has increased to 38 people, and numerous business licenses have been approved. To date, this includes six micro-cultivation licenses, nine provisional cultivator licenses, and 27 retail licenses.

Just one month after Lamont signed the bill, Connecticut officials launched a cannabis education and information website to clear up questions that residents may have. In September, there had already been an expectation that sales could be delayed. “We’ve been suggesting that there will likely be sales by the end of 2022, and we’re still aspiring for that. Obviously, we have to see how things play out in the next few months,” Seagull said in September 2021. “It’s really important to us that we preserve the medical marketplace that currently does exist. It’s important to us that that market, which is working well and helping a lot of people, doesn’t get swallowed up.”

Earlier this year in May, more than 15,000 dispensary applications were submitted with anticipation of sales beginning in Connecticut soon. Additionally Gov. Lamont signed legislation earlier this year in May to address the ongoing practice of cannabis gifting that lies in a grey area of sales.

Most recently in September, the state launched a new educational campaign “to promote responsible cannabis use by adults.” “Protecting public health and safety includes providing people with the tools and knowledge to make informed decisions to keep their families safe,” said Lamont about the campaign. “We’re working to educate the public about the steps they can take to protect themselves and their families from accidental ingestion and over-consumption. We encourage adults who choose to use these products to do so responsibly.”

According to the 2022 MJBiz Factbook, Connecticut could collect up to $250 million in the first full year of sales, and $750 million by the fourth year.

Connecticut is one of New York’s eastern neighbors, and news of Connecticut’s progress arrived just one day after the New York Office of Cannabis Management announced its first round of license approvals. This included 28 “justice-involved individuals” and eight non-profit organizations. According to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, the state plans to open its first 20 dispensaries by the end of 2022.

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Connecticut Launches Education Campaign to Promote Responsible Weed Use

September 21, 2022 Published by

Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont on Tuesday announced the launch of a new state-sponsored education campaign designed “to promote responsible cannabis use by adults.”

The state legalized recreational marijuana use for adults last year when Lamont signed a bill into law. Adults aged 21 and older can now legally possess small amounts of marijuana, and Connecticut officials have said that legal weed sales could start by the end of this year.

In the meantime, the state wants would-be customers to know the ropes before entering an era of legalization.

Lamont’s office said on Tuesday that the education campaign “contains a collection of materials that cover how to safely store and dispose of cannabis and cannabis waste, and what to do in case someone, such as a child or pet, accidently ingests cannabis.”

The materials include “videos, brochures, flyers, and social media graphics,” the governor’s office said, and they are “available for anyone to use and can be downloaded for free on the state’s adult-use cannabis website at ct.gov/cannabis.”

“Protecting public health and safety includes providing people with the tools and knowledge to make informed decisions to keep their families safe,” Lamont, a Democrat, said in a press release announcing the campaign. “We’re working to educate the public about the steps they can take to protect themselves and their families from accidental ingestion and over-consumption. We encourage adults who choose to use these products to do so responsibly.”

The campaign is similar to efforts undertaken by other states that have legalized cannabis for adults. In New York, which also legalized weed last year and is currently preparing for the launch of its own regulated marijuana market, subway advertisements and billboards went up in the spring as part of the state’s “Cannabis Conversations” campaign.

Similar to the program launched Tuesday in neighboring Connecticut, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office said the PSA campaign would “inform the public on the state’s Cannabis Law, including who can consume, where to consume, and how to consume safely,” and “provide parents and caregivers with tools to protect youth, remind New Yorkers of the risks of driving while impaired by cannabis, and other messages to help keep New Yorkers safe and healthy as the new industry develops.”

“With the ‘Cannabis Conversations’ campaign, we’re following through on our commitment to provide New Yorkers with the information they need to safely navigate the new Cannabis Law,” Hochul said in a statement at the time. “Education is the best tool to keep New Yorkers healthy as we continue to ramp up this safe, inclusive, and equitable industry.”

Lamont’s office said the materials for Connecticut’s education campaign “were created by the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection in collaboration with the Connecticut Department of Public Health and the Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services,” and “are encouraged to be used by cannabis and non-cannabis business owners, medical facilities, community health organizations, and others who would like to help promote safe and responsible cannabis practices in their communities.”

Tuesday’s launch of the campaign is also apparently only the first step.

Lamont’s office says that “the Department of Consumer Protection plans on adding more content to the campaign that concern other health and safety topics related to cannabis, including responsible use, where consumption is permitted, and how to read and understand cannabis product labels,” and that in the fall, “the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services will launch a multimedia campaign to educate the public about state laws related to cannabis.”

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Connecticut Governor Signs Legislation Cracking Down on Cannabis ‘Gifting’

May 31, 2022 Published by

Another state with legal weed is cracking down on unregulated cannabis retailers. This time, it is lawmakers in Connecticut who are taking on the practice of “gifting,” through which illicit weed shops sell a product (say, a T-shirt) that comes with a cannabis “gift.”

Now, under a bill signed into law last week by the state’s Democratic Gov. Ned Lamont, that loophole could be tightening up.

According to the Connecticut Post, cities in the state “can now fine residents up to $1,000 for gifting a cannabis plant or other cannabis-related product to another individual in exchange for any kind of donation, including an admission fee, or as part of any giveaway such as a swag bag,” while the state itself can “can also separately issue $1,000 fines for failing to pay sales taxes.”

“Gifting” has become a go-to practice for marijuana retailers who haven’t gone through the proper regulatory channels to obtain a license, or who operate in states where cannabis is legal for adults but the regulated market has not yet launched.

The Associated Press reported that unregulated “cannabis bazaars have cropped up [in Connecticut] since the drug was legalized last year,” and “[t]housands of people have attended the events, often paying a fee to be admitted, and exchanged cannabis-related products for other items or received them along with the purchase of an item such as a T-shirt.”

In New York, where adult-use cannabis has been legal since March of last year, regulators have targeted businesses that have purportedly taken part in “gifting,” warning them that the legal retail market does not officially begin until later this year.

The New York Office of Cannabis Management sent cease-and-desist letters in March to a number of businesses it suspected of employing the practice, saying that continuing to do so could jeopardize their prospects for retail licenses.

“New York State is building a legal, regulated cannabis market that will ensure products are tested and safe for consumers while providing opportunities for those from communities most impacted by the over-criminalization of the cannabis prohibition and illegal operations undermine our ability to do that. We encourage New Yorkers to not partake in illicit sales where products may not be safe and we will continue to work to ensure that New Yorkers have a pathway to sell legally in the new industry,” OCM executive director Chris Alexander said in a statement at the time.

And in Washington, D.C., where voters approved a ballot initiative legalizing recreational pot in 2014, medical cannabis suppliers have objected to the practice of “gifting,” arguing that the illicit businesses are hurting their own legal operations.

Despite cannabis’s legal status in the nation’s capital, weed sales remain illegal due to an ongoing Congressional ban on the commercialization of pot there. 

The bill designed to crack down on gifting in Connecticut was proposed earlier this year.

While the measure had support among some cannabis business owners in the state, other weed advocates objected. Businesspeople who engage in gifting have also defended the practice.

“I do not deserve to be punished for this, nor does anyone else,” Justin Welch, a member of CT CannaWarriors and the New England Craft Cannabis Alliance, said in defense of the practice at the time of the bill’s introduction. “For too long now, good people have been persecuted for their involvement with cannabis. The grassroots cannabis community that exists here in Connecticut will not cease to exist, whether you pass this bill or not. Moving forward we need sensible cannabis policy that looks more like a craft beer policy.”

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