On June 17, 2021, the Connecticut General Assembly voted to approve the Responsible & Equitable Regulation of Adult-Use Cannabis Act .
In addition to legalizing the recreational use and sale of cannabis, the Act contains a number of social equity initiatives and criminal justice reforms for the benefit of individuals and communities in the state that have historically been adversely affected by the state’s prosecution of cannabis-related crimes.
As the adult-use program develops, the Commissioner will consult with other state agencies to promulgate rules, create support programs such as a business accelerator program and workforce training program, and recommend legislation for related services, including banking, mental health and insurance.
The Act categorizes licenses as follows: laboratory or research program licenses.
“Social Equity Applicants” are defined under the Act as applicants who are at least 65% owned and controlled by an individual who was a resident of a disproportionately impacted area for at least five of the ten years prior to the application or was a resident of a disproportionately impacted area for not less than nine years prior to attaining the age of 18.
If the Department receives more applications for any license type than the maximum number to be considered, a lottery shall be conducted to identify the applications for review, albeit with half of the slots for consideration reserved for Social Equity Applicants.
4 A producer seeking to expand cultivation may be eligible for a reduced fee of $1,500,000 if the producer participates in at least two equity joint ventures.
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