Important news! Next Wednesday, May 4, the application period for the retailer cannabis lottery ends. To date, over 3,000 applications have been submitted for the 12 adult-use retail establishments that are set to open following passage of Connecticut’s 2021 legalization law.

Good news! Today, a 90-day application period for Disproportionately Impacted Cultivators and Social Equity Retailers opens. These are the first of nine adult-use cannabis license types that will become available as a result of Connecticut’s 2021 legalization law.

Just yesterday, the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection announced that it would begin accepting applications for adult-use licenses early next month.

Tomorrow, January 4, the Connecticut Social Equity Council will meet to move forward with their plan to begin accepting applications for adult-use licenses within the next several weeks. Under the Connecticut legalization law, the Department of Consumer of Protection (DCP) is allowed to set limits on the number of licenses that will be issued for each of the nine categories. We are calling on DCP to not set license caps, and if they must set license caps, that they be high.

On December 7, the Connecticut Social Equity Council approved income and residency documentation requirements for social equity applicants and cannabis businesses seeking to operate as Equity Joint Ventures. The approval is contingent upon the Council’s acceptance of an implementation plan for the accelerator and technical assistance programs, which will provide important business support to potential applicants.

Good news! As you may recall, as part of Connecticut’s legalization law, starting tomorrow, Friday, October 1, medical cannabis patients who are 18 or older will be allowed to grow cannabis at home!

Just last week Connecticut became the 19th state to legalize cannabis for adult use. Today, the law officially goes into effect.

Exciting news! Moments ago, Gov. Lamont signed S.B. 1201 — “An Act Concerning Equitable and Responsible Regulation of Cannabis” — into law, making Connecticut the 19th state to end cannabis prohibition. Connecticut is the sixth state to legalize via its state legislature and the fourth state to legalize this year, along with New Mexico, New York, and Virginia.

We did it! Today, the Connecticut Senate voted (16-11) to concur with a House-passed version of a bill that will legalize cannabis for adults 21 and over. The House passed the bill yesterday in a 76-62 vote. Gov. Ned Lamont has said he will sign the bill into law.

Last week, the 2021 legislative session ended without a vote in the House of Representatives on S.B.1118, which would have legalized cannabis for adults 21 and older. However, legislative leaders plan to reconvene later this week to take up the issue along with implementing the state budget.