The state of Connecticut mentioned final week that it acquired north of 15,600 functions from potential leisure hashish retailers, according to local news reports.
Central Maine reports that “State Division of Shopper Safety figures launched Friday present that 8,357 functions had been submitted earlier than Wednesday’s deadline for the primary six licenses which are reserved for social fairness candidates—these situated in principally city and low-income areas that had been disproportionately impacted by the federal government’s conflict on medicine,” whereas the state additionally “acquired 7,245 license functions to the final lottery for adult-use hashish retailers.”
The publication mentioned that the “state didn’t set a restrict on what number of functions one entity might submit, however underneath its guidelines is not going to give greater than two licenses to anybody applicant.”
“The division additionally acquired 1,896 functions to grow to be micro-cultivators of marijuana, which is able to enable a licensee to develop in areas between 2,000 and 10,000 sq. ft (3,048 meters). Different licenses might be accessible to promote medical marijuana, function supply companies, make hashish infused meals and drinks and different hashish merchandise, in addition to bundle and transport merchandise,” Central Maine reported.
Leisure hashish use for adults aged 21 and older has been authorized in Connecticut for almost a yr now, with Democratic Governor Ned Lamont signing laws into regulation final June.
“It’s becoming that the invoice legalizing the grownup use of hashish and addressing the injustices attributable to the conflict of medication acquired remaining passage at this time, on the 50-year anniversary of President Nixon declaring the conflict. The conflict on hashish, which was at its core a conflict on individuals in Black and Brown communities, not solely brought on injustices and elevated disparities in our state, it did little to guard public well being and security,” Lamont mentioned in a press release on the time.
“That’s why I launched a invoice and labored onerous with our companions within the legislature and different stakeholders to create a complete framework for a securely regulated market that prioritizes public well being, public security, social justice, and fairness. It’ll assist eradicate the harmful unregulated market and assist a brand new, rising sector of our financial system which is able to create jobs,” the governor continued.
“By permitting adults to own hashish, regulating its sale and content material, coaching cops within the newest methods of detecting and stopping impaired driving, and expunging the legal information of individuals with sure hashish crimes, we’re not solely successfully modernizing our legal guidelines and addressing inequities, we’re conserving Connecticut economically aggressive with our neighboring states,” Lamont added.
However whereas the regulation took impact final summer time, regulated retail gross sales are usually not anticipated to start in Connecticut till later this yr.
Central Maine reported that the “first lottery for the social fairness slots is anticipated inside the subsequent week,” with the winners present process “an eligibility overview earlier than the final lottery is held.”
The state started accepting social fairness functions in January.
Connecticut is considered one of a handful of northeastern states to legalize leisure hashish use lately. The proximity to different regulated hashish markets has caught the eye of some lawmakers in Connecticut, with members of the state Home final month approving a invoice that might prohibit out-of-state hashish commercials inside its personal borders.
Lawmakers had been motivated to behave after numerous billboards for Massachusetts hashish retailers began appearing on the border.
“Look, I’m sick of seeing these billboards with hashish leaves splayed all throughout them, inside 1,500 yards throughout from a college or church or no matter. Can’t we do one thing extra about that?” mentioned Democratic state Home Consultant Mike D’Agostino, as quoted by the Associated Press.