Connecticut Cannabis Application & Licensing

Population: 3.606 million (2020)

Median Income: $91,665

Largest Cities: Bridgeport (148,028), Stamford (136,226), New Haven (135,319), Hartford (119,669), & Waterbury (114,990)

Adult-Use Cannabis Total Sales: $274 million (2023)

• General

• Social Equity

  • Must have an average household income of less than three times the state median household income; AND

  • One of the following:

    • Was a resident of a disproportionately impacted area for at least 5 of the past 10 years; OR

    • Was a resident of a disproportionately impacted area for at least 9 years before the age of 18.

  • At least 65% of the ownership must be held by individuals who meet the above DIA and income requirements.

• Equity Joint Venture

  • An already existing medical cannabis establishment partnering with a licensed social equity individual, given that at least 50% is owned by that social equity individual

  • Each one of the existing medical dispensaries may open 2 EJV

  • The fee to convert from a solely medical cannabis company to a hybrid retailer (selling both medical and adult-use cannabis) is reduced by 50 percent as well.

  • A social equity individual cannot own more than 1 EJV

  • Of note, an adult-use Cultivator license may not apply as an EJV

• Backer

  • Any individual or entity that has a direct or indirect financial interest in a cannabis establishment license, AND

    • Owns 5% or more together with their spouse, parents, or child; or

    • Participates directly or indirectly in the control, management, or operation of the cannabis establishment license

Growing

o   Cultivator – Grows cannabis for medical and adult use. At least 15,000 square feet of grow space is required for this license type.

o   Micro-cultivator – Grows cannabis for medical and adult use. Between 2,000 and 10,000 square feet of grow space, prior to any expansion authorized by the commissioner. May apply for an expansion of grow space in increments of 5,000 square feet per year.

o   Producer – Grows cannabis for medicinal use. No additional licenses for producers will be issued at this time. Producers interested in growing cannabis for adult-use may apply to convert their license to an expanded producer license.

Manufacturing

o   Product Manufacturer – Performs cannabis extraction, chemical synthesis and permitted manufacturing activities.

o   Food and Beverage Manufacturer – Incorporate cannabis into food or beverage intended for human consumption.

o   Product Packager – Labels and packages cannabis in compliance with state statutes, regulations and policies.

Sales

o   Retailer – Sells cannabis only to consumers for adult-use.

o   Hybrid Retailer – Sells cannabis to consumers for adult-use and to qualifying patients and caregivers for medical use.

o   Dispensary Facility – Sells cannabis only to qualifying patients and caregivers for medical use. No additional dispensary facility licenses will be issued at this time. Existing dispensary facilities may apply to convert their license to a hybrid retail license to allow for the sale of both adult-use and medical marijuana.

Delivery and Transportation

o   Delivery Service – Delivers cannabis from cannabis establishments to consumers, qualifying patients and caregivers, as applicable.

o   Transporter – Delivers cannabis between cannabis establishments, laboratories, and research programs.

Infused Beverages

THC-infused beverages are non-alcoholic drinks that containing THC. This might be displayed as "hemp-derived," Delta-8, Delta-9, Delta-10, or THCA.

o   Infused Beverage Manufacturer - A person who manufactures infused beverages to be sold or offered or sale in this state.

o   Infused Beverage Sales - Infused beverages can only be sold by licensed dispensary facilities, hybrid retailers, or retailers, or a package store permittee with an endorsement to sell THC-infused beverages.

Laboratories

o   Cannabis Testing Laboratory – A laboratory authorized to engage in testing and analyzing cannabis.

There are currently no lotteries being conducted for cannabis establishment licenses. Future lottery dates have not yet been announced. Please regularly check back with this page for updates and announcements.

There is no window for license applications for Equity Joint Ventures. Those can be applied for whenever.

To be eligible for an initial cannabis license application, individuals must provide the following requirements:

·        Organization Chart & Resumes

·        List of owners and ownership interest

·        List of Affiliates

·        Management Agreements

·        Operating Agreements

·        Option Agreements

·        Personal Net Worth Statement

·        Federal Tax Returns

·        Documented Proof of Contributions Used to Acquire Ownership

·        Documented Proof of Any Transfers or Transferred Assets over the past 2 years

·        DBE/ACDBE and SBA 8(a), SDB, MBE/WBE certifications and/or decertifications

·        Bank Authorization & Signatory Cards

·        Schedule of Salaries

·        List of All Employees

·        Certificate of Good Standing for Corporation or LLC

·        Shareholder Agreements for Corporation or LLC

·        Corporate Bylaws

·        Official Articles of Incorporation/Articles of Organization (LLC)

If your initial application is selected through the lottery, and has passed the review, you will be allowed to submit a provisional application. Provisional license applicants who have satisfied the requirements will be allowed to submit a final application for a license.

The state has a limit on the number of licenses an applicant may hold. The maximum number of licenses an individual may hold (including managerial control or a backer) is 2. However, you can apply for multiple licenses and license types.

Social Equity Applicants cannot sell or change the ownership of their adult-use cannabis license for a period of 3 years following the issuance of their final license, unless it is to another qualifying social equity applicant.

Any general applicants may sell transfer their ownership as long as they receive the commissioner’s prior approval.