While Connecticut adult-use sales were anticipated to launch by the end of this year, that start date may be pushed back to early 2023.
The Department of Consumer Protection (DCP) announced Nov. 22 that the fourth remaining medical cannabis producer—Theraplant—applied Nov. 10 to convert its facility to grow adult-use and medical cannabis, and the application is still under review by the DCP.
While adult-use sales were expected to begin by the end of this year, the law in Connecticut requires at least 250,000 square feet of growing and manufacturing space to be approved for adult-use production before sales can begin. Therefore, the start of adult-use sales relies on all four existing medical cannabis producers completing the conversion process to operate within the adult-use and medical markets.
The other three producers—Advanced Grow Labs LLC, Connecticut Pharmaceutical Solutions LLC, and Curaleaf LLC—have already completed the steps to serve the adult-use and medical markets. Now, the market waits for the DCP to approve Theraplant’s application.
The DCP also announced that seven existing medical cannabis dispensaries have already received approval to sell adult-use cannabis.
Those dispensaries are as follows:
- Affinity
- Bluepoint Wellness of Connecticut
- C3 Torrington (Still River Wellness)
- FDD Newington
- FDD Stamford
- FDD Willimantic
- Willow Brook Wellness
“The Department’s priority is to have a safe, well-regulated marketplace for consumers,” said DCP Commissioner Michelle H. Seagull. “I am grateful to the Drug Control and Legal teams at DCP who have worked—and continue to work—tirelessly, since the passage of the law, toward a safe and successful market opening.”
