After more than a year of navigating legislation and the licensing process, it’s officially legal to buy marijuana in Connecticut.
The state’s adult-use cannabis industry launched this morning at 10 a.m. with seven dispensaries opening their doors for residents to buy marijuana products. Hybrid dispensaries opening today include:
- Affinity Health & Wellness, 1351 Whalley Ave., New Haven
- RISE, formerly Bluepoint Wellness of Connecticut, 471 E. Main St., Branford
- The Botanist, 887 Norwich-New London Turnpike, Montville
- Fine Fettle Dispensary, 2280 Berlin Turnpike, Newington
- Fine Fettle Dispensary, 12 Research Drive, Stamford
- Fine Fettle Dispensary, 1548 W Main St., Willimantic
- Zen Leaf Meriden, 1371 E Main St., formerly Willow Brook Wellness
Two other dispensaries — The Botanist in Danbury and Still River Wellness in Torrington — have been approved for hybrid operations but aren’t opening yet.
“Our neighboring state Massachusetts has been very aggressively marketing cannabis to people in our state, and it’s about time we started taking advantage of the tax revenue that’s associated with that,” Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz said during a press conference Monday.
The recreational cannabis market won’t come without limits, at least initially.
Adult-use sales are being limited to 1/4 ounce of cannabis flower, or its equivalent, per transaction. Transaction limits will be reviewed over time, and are in place to ensure businesses are able to maintain adequate supply for both adult-use consumers and medical marijuana patients, the state said. Patients currently enrolled in the state’s medical marijuana program can purchase up to five ounces per month.
Fine Fettle Newington held a ribbon cutting Tuesday to commemorate the big day. Margie Giuliano, Fine Fettle’s chief compliance officer, said preorders for the dispensary went live Monday afternoon ahead of the beginning of sales. Hundreds of people had submitted orders by Tuesday morning, she said.
“We’re as prepared as we can be,” Giuliano said.
Fine Fettle Newington’s line was a few dozen people deep shortly after the 10 a.m. start of adult-use sales.
“This industry is going to create more than 10,000 jobs over the next couple of years, and hundreds of millions in new revenue that will be reinvested in the communities most hard hit by the war on drugs,” said Connecticut Cannabis Chamber of Commerce President Adam Wood. “Today is historic, but the real story is about the benefits to come that will transform lives and communities.”
For now, all cannabis products in the state will come from just four growers and producers. The state’s four medical marijuana growers, all owned by national companies operating in several states, have converted their facilities to serve both the medical and recreational markets, but until more grow facilities come online all product will come from the four entities.
There are three taxes on the retail sale of cannabis: the state’s usual 6.35% sales tax; a 3% sales tax dedicated to the city or town where the sale occurs; and a tax based on THC content that will cost approximately 10% to 15% of the sale price.