The City Plan Commission this week approved a special permit for the sale of adult-use recreational marijuana at a Whalley Avenue dispensary.
Affinity Health & Wellness Inc. in May applied for a special permit to operate a hybrid cannabis retail facility to sell adult-use recreational marijuana in conjunction with the current medical marijuana dispensary it operates at 1351 Whalley Ave., New Haven.
That facility, opened in June 2019, was the city’s first medical marijuana dispensary.
The vote Wednesday was 3-1, with members Carl Goldfield, Joshua Van Hoesen, and Adam Marchand in favor of the permit, and commission Chair Leslie Radcliff against.
The permit to sell marijuana for recreational use takes effect in December.
The facility currently has private consultation rooms for the staff to meet with individual patients about their medical conditions and treatment options.
The applicant for Affinity, Ray Pantalena, has been working as a pharmacist since 1980 in the Greater New Haven area.
The medical dispensary had employed nine people, including two pharmacists and seven pharmacy technicians.
It was not immediately clear how many more employees will work in the hybrid operation.
Contact Hanna at hgambini@hartfordbusiness.com.