Connecticut Adult-Use Cannabis: The Application Process

On February 3, 2022, the State of Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection (the “DCP”) began accepting applications for licenses for adult-use cannabis establishments, which initially will be issued to general and social equity applicants in limited numbers. Each application period runs for 90 days from its respective starting dates.  The  application periods  are:

Applications for social equity cultivator licenses located in Disproportionately Impacted Areas will have a one-time 90-day application period beginning February 3, 2022, and ending May 4, 2022.The DCP will hold 2 lotteries for each of the other 8 license types: a social equity lottery and a general lottery.  Applicants selected in the social equity lottery are subject to review by the Social Equity Council to confirm their social equity status.  Once the social equity applicants are selected and approved, the DCP will conduct the general lottery.

The DCP Commissioner, Michelle H. Seagull recently stated, “the initial number of available licenses is not a cap, but a starting point for opening the adult-use cannabis market in an effective, measured and thoughtful way.”

If you are interested in learning more about the Connecticut , please reach out to one of the authors of this article, Daniel Glissman at dglissman@princelobel.com  or Adam Braillard at abraillard@princelobel.com, or a member of the Prince Lobel Cannabis Team, to answer any questions about the ordinance.