Urge state officials to create opportunities for small business owners!

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.

Applications can be found here and must be completed through an online portal. Information about what is required to apply for each license type is available at ct.gov/cannabis. Interested applicants can also view a description of each license type here. The application period for the remaining license types opens on the following days:

• Micro-cultivator: February 10, 2022
• Delivery Service: February 17, 2022
• Hybrid Retailer: February 24, 2022
• Food and Beverage: March 3, 2022
• Product Manufacturer: March 10, 2022  
• Product Packager: March 17, 2022
• Transporter: March 24, 2022

Licenses will be reviewed after each application period ends in 90 days. In each licensing round there are a limited number of licenses available through the social equity and open license lottery:

• Retailer: 6 general licenses, 6 social equity licenses
• Micro-cultivator: 2 general licenses, 2 social equity licenses
• Delivery Service: 5 general licenses, 5 social equity licenses
• Hybrid Retailer: 2 general licenses, 2 social equity licenses
• Food and Beverage: 5 general licenses, 5 social equity licenses
• Product Packager: 3 general licenses, 3 social equity licenses
• Product Manufacturer: 3 general licenses, 3 social equity licenses
• Transporter: 2 general licenses, 2 social equity licenses

Also, late last week, MPP and cannabis allies called on the Department of Consumer Protection Commissioner and Gov. Ned Lamont to limit the number of businesses existing medical operators can create in order to allow more licenses to be available through the lottery process. We know that a diverse, stratified market benefits consumers and the economics of Connecticut. Consider adding your voice to our call for increased opportunities for equity and small business applicants. 

As the adult-use market continues to roll out in Connecticut, we’ll continue to keep you updated on all the progress.

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Call your state representative right now to ask them to vote “yes” on S.B. 1118!

Exciting news! Last night, the Connecticut Senate approved a bill that would legalize cannabis for adults in a 19-17 vote. The measure now heads to the House of Representatives where a vote is anticipated later today. If passed, Gov. Lamont is expected to sign the bill into law. 

Please call or email your state lawmaker and ask them to vote “yes” on legalization. 

S.B. 1118 would legalize possession and home cultivation of cannabis for adults 21 and older and expunge thousands of past records. Half of new cannabis business licenses would be issued to social equity applicants, who could receive technical assistance, start-up funding, assistance from an accelerator program, and workforce training.

In the final hours of the Senate debate, the bill was amended to remove concerning language that would have allowed existing medical cannabis establishments to qualify for equity licensing through a partnership with an equity applicant that only owned 32% of the venture. We believe the bill as passed is one of the most comprehensive cannabis bills in the nation. You can check out a full summary of the updated bill here.  

Time is short: The House adjourns at midnight on Wednesday, June 9. That’s why it’s critical that you contact your state representative and tell them to vote YES on S.B. 1118.  Then, please spread the word to others. We are so close to the finish line and I know with your support we can get this done in the final days of the session.

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Ask your Connecticut state lawmakers to legalize cannabis this year.

Exciting news! As you may recall, in April the Judiciary Committee advanced an amended version of Gov. Lamont’s proposal to legalize cannabis for adults over the age of 21 on a 22-16 vote. The final language the committee approved was a major improvement over the bill as-introduced. Lawmakers have now reached an agreement on the details of legalization — now S.B. 1118 — with a Senate vote expected on Monday.  

Please email your state lawmaker and ask them to support legalization.

Some key features of the new bill — which is sponsored by Senate President Martin Looney and House Speaker Matt Ritter — are: 

• Social equity applicant status is defined as an applicant for a cannabis establishment license that is at least 65% owned and controlled by one or more individuals who lived in a disproportionately impacted area for either at least five of the past 10 years or nine of their first 17 years of life. 
• A disproportionately impacted area is a census tract that has either an unemployment rate of over 10% or that has a high rate of drug arrests over the past 40 years.
• Social equity applicants must also have a median income for the last three years that was no more than triple the state’s median income. 

• Dedicates 50% of the maximum number of each license type for social equity applicants.
• Allows existing medical businesses to become licensed after paying a hefty conversion fees that are directed to social equity start-up; the fee can be reduced by half if they incubate one to two social equity businesses. 
• Allows adults to possess up to one and a half ounces on their person and allows up to five ounces in a locked location in one’s home, the person’s locked glove box, or their vehicle’s trunk.
• Decriminalizes first offense of possession of more than five ounces on one's person and more than eight ounces in one’s home, person’s locked glove box, or their vehicle, and cultivation of up to six plants.
• Starting October 1, 2021, allows medical patients who are at least 18 to securely cultivate up to three mature and three immature plants in their homes.
• Starting July 1, 2023, allows all adults 21 and older to securely cultivate up to three mature mature and three immature plants in their homes.
• Creates a free, automatic erasure process for cannabis possession and sale convictions up to four ounces or six mature plants.
• Eliminates law enforcement’s ability to initiate a search on the basis of odor of cannabis or burnt cannabis.
• Creates $50 million in bonding for initial funding for start-up capital for social equity applicants, the cannabis business accelerator program, and workforce training developed by the Social Equity Council.
• Beginning on July 1, 2023, directs 60% to 75% of the cannabis excise tax revenue to the Social Equity and Innovation Fund. Social Equity and Innovation funds can be used to promote social equity in relation to access to capital for businesses, funding workforce education; and funding for community investments.
• Beginning on July 1, 2023, directs 25% of cannabis excise tax revenue to the Prevention and Recovery Services Fund for substance abuse prevention, treatment and recovery services, and collection and analysis of data regarding substance use.
• Establishes the Social Equity Council to further develop equity criteria, priority in licensing and direct cannabis revenue.
• Creates a cannabis business accelerator program.

Although the bill is a vast improvement from what was presented in earlier versions of S.B. 888, we still have concerns that the language could be better tailored to assure equity applicants are at the forefront of the licensing process. We’ll continue pushing for those provisions to be removed but still strongly support the bill’s passage as it contains a ton of good provisions and is far better than the status quo. You can check out a full summary of the updated bill here.  

The bill needs 21 votes to secure passage in the Senate and advance to the House. Time is short: Both chambers adjourn at midnight on June 9. That’s why it’s critical that you contact your state senator and tell them to vote YES on S.B. 1118. With your continued support, I know we can get this across the finish line before the legislature adjourns. 

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Ask your Connecticut state lawmakers to legalize cannabis this year.

Good news! As you may recall, earlier this month the Connecticut Judiciary Committee advanced an amended version of Gov. Lamont’s proposal to legalize cannabis for adults 21 and older in a 22-16 vote. The final language the committee approved was recently released, and it’s a major improvement over SB 888 as introduced.

Please email your state lawmakers and ask them to support legalization.

Here are some key features of the bill, as amended:

• Social equity applicant status is defined as an applicant with 51% ownership or control by one or more persons with an immediate family member with a cannabis-related conviction, a resident of a disproportionately impacted area for five of the last 10 years, or a resident of tribal land. (We understand the provision allowing for applicants to qualify based solely on control — not ownership — will be removed during the process.)
• Awards new licenses only to social equity applicants until January 1, 2024. At least 40% of licenses will be awarded to social equity applicants.
• Allows existing medical businesses to become licensed on September 1, 2021 after paying a hefty conversion fee that is directed to social equity start-up.
• In addition to allowing adults to possess up to 1.5 ounces on their person, it also allows up to five ounces in a locked location in one’s home.
• Decriminalizes possession of up to four ounces and cultivation of up to six plants.
• Creates a free erasure process for cannabis possession and sale convictions of up to four ounces or six mature plants.
• Eliminates law enforcement’s ability to initiate a search on the basis of odor of cannabis or burnt cannabis.
• Establishes a Cannabis Control Commission to establish guidelines for the issuance of licenses.
• Establishes a 13-member Social Equity Council to further develop equity criteria, priority in licensing, and direct cannabis revenue.
• In the first year and two months of legal sales, state cannabis revenue would be directed to the general fund. In year three of legal sales, and every year thereafter, 55 percent of the state excise tax revenue would be directed to the Cannabis Equity and Innovation Fund, 15 percent to prevention and recovery services, and 30 percent to the general fund.
• Creates a cannabis business accelerator program.

You can check out an updated summary of the amended bill here.

Negotiations between the legislature and the governor’s office on the final details will continue over the coming weeks. We are working to ensure legislators send a bill to Gov. Lamont’s desk before the June 9 session deadline. We’ll be sure to keep you updated as the bill makes its way through the legislative process.

In the meantime, please spread the word and write your legislators, urging them to support legislation to regulate and tax the sale of cannabis to adults in the 2021 session.

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Ask your state lawmakers to legalize cannabis this year.

Great news! Earlier today, the Judiciary Committee advanced an amended version of Gov. Lamont’s proposal to legalize cannabis for adults over the age of 21 in a 22-16 vote.

Please email your state lawmakers and ask them to support legalization.

Here are some key features of the bill, as amended:

• Social equity applicant status is defined as an applicant with 51% ownership or control by one or more persons with an immediate family member with a cannabis-related conviction, a resident of a disproportionately impacted area for five of the last 10 years, or a resident of tribal land.
• Awards new licenses only to social equity applicants until January 1, 2024.
• Allows existing medical businesses to become licensed on September 1, 2021, after paying a hefty conversion fee.
• In addition to allowing adults to possess up to one and a half ounces on their person, it also allows up to five ounces in a locked location in one’s home.
• Decriminalizes possession up to four ounces.
• Creates a free erasure process for cannabis possession and sale convictions up to four ounces or six mature plants.
• Eliminates law enforcement’s ability to initiate a search on the basis of odor of cannabis or burnt cannabis.
• Establishes a Cannabis Control Commission to establish guidelines for the issuance of licenses.
• Establishes a 12-member Social Equity Council to further develop equity criteria, priority in licensing, and direct cannabis revenue.
• In first two years, all cannabis revenue would be directed to the general fund. In year three of legal sales and every year thereafter, 55 percent of the revenue would be directed to the Cannabis Equity and Innovation Fund, 15 percent to prevention and recovery services, and 30 percent to the general fund.
• Creates a cannabis business accelerator program.

It’s anticipated that the bill will now head to the Senate for a floor vote. We’ll be sure to keep you updated as the bill makes its way through the legislative process. In the meantime, please spread the word by writing your legislators and urging them to support legislation to regulate and tax the sale of cannabis to adults in the 2021 session.

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Ask your state lawmakers to legalize cannabis this year.

The Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing on Gov. Lamont’s bill S.B. 888 – An Act Responsibly and Equitably Regulating Adult-Use Cannabis, tomorrow, Friday, February 26 at 10:00 a.m. You can watch the hearing on YouTube Live.

If you’d like to testify, the deadline to sign up is today (Thursday) at 3:00 p.m. To testify by Zoom, sign up using this On-line Testimony Registration Form. If you’d like to testify in writing, please email it in Word or PDF format to Judtestimony@cga.ct.gov by 3:00 p.m. today.

MPP will implore the committee to advance the bill, but to first make revisions to make it stronger and more explicit on equity. Here are some tips for testifying that I encourage you to review. Also, feel free to check out our summary of the bill here.

Speakers are limited to three minutes. The first hour of the hearing will be reserved for comments from state and local officials. The rest of the speaking order will be randomized and will be posted on the Judiciary Committee website tomorrow at 8:00 a.m. under Public Hearing Testimony.

All witnesses should clearly state their name and the bill number (S.B. 888). The Committee encourages witnesses to submit a written statement and to have their oral testimony be a condensed summary.

Please spread the word, and be sure to write your legislators urging them to support legislation to regulate and tax the sale of cannabis to adults in the 2021 session.

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Ask your state lawmakers to legalize cannabis this year.

Good news! Last week, Gov. Lamont released his 2021 adult-use legalization bill. As you may recall, last year Gov. Lamont drafted a legalization bill but the effort was upended when the legislative session was suspended due to the onset of the coronavirus.

Gov. Lamont’s 2021 proposal — S.B. 888 — would legalize possession of up to one and a half ounces for persons over 21, with legal sales beginning on May 2, 2022.

An Equity Commission would issue recommendations by November 15, 2021 on a number of issues, including qualifications for equity applicants and distribution of a portion of tax revenues to support residents in communities disproportionately harmed by cannabis prohibition.

Additionally, the bill would decriminalize possession of up to two and a half ounces. Persons with convictions for cannabis possession under four ounces prior to October 1, 2015 would have their records automatically expunged. Persons with possession convictions for less than four ounces after October 1, 2015 would be allowed to petition the court for expungement at no cost. Gov. Lamont’s bill also provides important public health and safety protections, such as labeling standards and preventing advertising to minors.

Lastly, the bill would levy a wholesale tax of $1.25 per dry weight gram of cannabis flower, $.50 per dry weight gram of cannabis trim, and $.28 per wet weight gram of cannabis, in addition to the state sales tax of 6.25%. Municipalities could also levy up to a 3% point of sale tax. To learn more, you can check out our bill summary here.

The bill now heads to the Judiciary Committee for a hearing. We will urge the committee to advance the bill but to first make some revisions to make it stronger and more explicit on equity. We’ll be sure to keep you updated on how to offer testimony on the proposal. In the meantime, please urge your legislators to support the legislation to regulate and tax the sale of cannabis to adults in the 2021 session.

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