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

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.