On the eve of the launch of a new industry in New Haven, local officials and the city’s sole retailer spoke Monday of expected crowds and “socially responsible” drug use ahead of Tuesday’s opening of recreational cannabis sales.
As of 6 p.m. Monday, customers can start pre-ordering cannabis products like flower and pre-rolls on the website of Affinity Health and Wellness, New Haven’s only recreational retailer at the current time. The store opens for recreational sales at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, when customers can shop in person and pick up pre-orders.
“We’re really excited to finally open tomorrow,” Affinity owner Ray Pantalena told a crowd of reporters at New Haven City Hall on Monday. In anticipation of crowds, four police officers and a police supervisor will be on hand for the 10 a.m. opening, at the location of Affinity’s existing medical dispensary at 1351 Whalley Ave.
Pantalena said that he had yet to determine prices or his exact product mix as of midday Monday due to delays in deliveries from the state’s four authorized cannabis suppliers.
His staff has been meeting with city officials for months to plan a smooth rollout of recreational sales, he added.
“Hopefully we’re all prepared, and we have a nice safe sound-off,” Pantalena said.
Affinity is one of nine “hybrid” outlets statewide scheduled to launch recreational use sales on Tuesday, all of which are existing medical marijuana dispensaries. The launch is expected to be so popular that the state’s Department of Consumer Protection warned medical users last week to stock up in anticipation of long lines at participating retailers.
Other New Haven County retailers opening to recreational sales on Tuesday are Bluepoint Wellness of Connecticut in Branford and Willow Brook Wellness in Meriden.
New Haven Health Director Maritza Bond warned of edible cannabis products falling into the hands of children, the cause of multiple incidents in city schools in past years. Consumers should lock up their supply, label it and make sure to limit the amount on hand at a given time, she said.
“We want to also be socially responsible in making sure that we are thinking about our children, because we’ve already seen the impact that it can have,” Bond said. “We want to make sure that we’re reducing the risks to our youth.”
Police Chief Karl Jacobson said that city law enforcement officers are determined to prevent the rise of illegal sales in the wake of legalization, especially with the rise of potential lethal contaminants like fentanyl in the illicit drug supply.
Cannabis users are also subject to the same rules around driving while intoxicated, Jacobson said.
“One of the illegal things is obviously driving under the influence, but it’s also illegal for both passengers and drivers to use cannabis while a vehicle is operating,” Jacobson said. “We need to be safe — we need to bring it home and we need to smoke it in a safe place.”
