More than 15,000 Connecticut pharmacy applications filed

The state of Connecticut said last week that it had received more than 15,600 applications from potential recreational cannabis retailers, according to local news reports.

Central Maine reports that “Department of Consumer Protection figures released Friday show that 8,357 applications were filed ahead of Wednesday’s deadline for the first six licenses reserved for Social Justice applicants — those located in predominantly urban and low-income areas.” who were disproportionately affected by the government’s war on drugs,” while the state also “received 7,245 license applications in the General Lottery for Retailers of Cannabis for Adult Use.”

The release states that “the state has not imposed a limit on the number of applications a company can file, but under its rules will not grant more than two licenses to any one applicant.”

“The department also received 1,896 applications to become a marijuana micro-cultivator, which will allow a licensee to grow in areas between 2,000 and 10,000 square feet (3,048 meters). Additional licenses will be available to sell medical marijuana, operate delivery services, manufacture cannabis-infused food and beverages and other cannabis products, and package and ship products,” Central Maine reported.

Recreational use of cannabis by adults 21 and older has been legal in Connecticut for nearly a year after Democratic Gov. Ned Lamont signed legislation into law last June.

“It is fitting that today, on the 50th anniversary of President Nixon’s declaration of war, legislation to legalize the use of cannabis by adults and to address the injustices caused by the drug war was finally passed. The war on cannabis, which was at its core a war against people in black and brown communities, not only caused injustice and widening inequalities in our state, it did little to protect public health and safety,” Lamont said in a statement at the time .

“That’s why I introduced legislation and worked hard with our partners in the legislature and other stakeholders to create a comprehensive framework for a safely regulated market that prioritizes public health, public safety, social justice and equity.” It will help eliminate the dangerous unregulated market and support a new, growing sector of our economy that will create jobs,” the governor continued.

“By allowing adult possession of cannabis, regulating its sale and content, training law enforcement officers in the latest techniques to detect and prevent disruptive driving, and erasing the criminal record of individuals with certain cannabis crimes, we are not only effectively modernizing our laws and addressing injustices , we keep Connecticut economically competitive with our neighboring states,” added Lamont.

But while the law went into effect last summer, regulated retail sales in Connecticut aren’t expected to begin until later this year.

Central Maine reported that the “first Social Justice Slots lottery is expected within the next week,” with winners “undergoing eligibility screening before the general lottery is held.”

The state began accepting social justice applications in January.

Connecticut is one of a few Northeastern states to have legalized recreational cannabis use in recent years. Proximity to other regulated cannabis markets has caught the attention of some Connecticut lawmakers, with members of the state house passing a bill last month that would ban out-of-state cannabis advertising within its own borders.

Lawmakers were motivated to act after a series of billboards for Massachusetts cannabis dealers appeared on the border.

“Look, I’m sick of seeing these billboards with cannabis leaves scattered, within 1,500 meters of a school or church or whatever. Can’t we do something more about it?” said Mike D’Agostino, Representative of the Democratic House of Representatives, as quoted by the Associated Press.