State Department of Consumer Protection Commissioner Michelle Seagull and Deputy Commissioner Andrea Comer will be overseeing the state’s legal cannabis industry, which is in the process of launching after Gov. Ned Lamont signed the adult-use statute last June.
Application windows for several different business licenses have been gradually opening since the beginning of February, so the DCP and Social Equity Council have been working to fine-tune rules, regulations and technical assistance programs to aid entrepreneurs.
“In 2022 we expect to be spending a lot of time evaluating license applications and working with those applicants to get their business up and running,” Seagull told HBJ earlier this year. “Right now we’re still hoping that there will be sales available starting toward the end of 2022.” Comer is chair of the SEC, which was created to try to ensure the state’s cannabis industry benefits marginalized communities that have been disproportionately impacted by the war on drugs.
With applications launched, the SEC is preparing for the lottery that will determine the first wave of legal retail cannabis businesses.
All this regulatory work will require a lot of manpower, which is why DCP is looking to hire about 60 new staffers in 2022 to serve the cannabis industry, Seagull said. New employees will include members of DCP’s legal team, licensing staff and site inspectors.
“We are looking to hire a pretty significant number of people and it will cover a range of things,” Seagull said. “[DCP] will be growing significantly.”