Connecticut scraps municipal limit on marijuana retail stores, small grows

Just Released! Get realistic market forecasts, state-by-state insights and benchmarks with the new 2024 MJBiz Factbook member program, now with quarterly updates. Make informed decisions.


Connecticut legislators removed a rule that limited the number of marijuana micro-grows and retail operations in a municipality, opening up the zoning options for towns and cities in the state.

The state Department of Consumer Protection eliminated the rule limiting the number of marijuana stores and small cultivation operations to one per 25,000 residents, the Norwich Bulletin reported.

“It was a local zoning issue, even in the first iteration of the bill,” Kaitlyn Krasselt, communications director for the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection, told the Bulletin.

“It’s up to towns to decide how many businesses are appropriate for their town.”

However, the cap could be reinstated as soon as 2024 if regulators choose to do so, though Krasselt doesn’t expect that to happen.

Municipalities that still don’t allow marijuana businesses are not affected by the change in the rule.

Ginnie-Rae Clay, executive director of the Social Equity Council (SEC), said some areas in the state asked for the change.

The SEC decides which social equity applicants are eligible for marijuana business licenses and provides them support.

Stay informed with MJBiz Newsletters

MJBiz’s family of newsletters gives cannabis professionals an edge in this rapidly changing industry.

Featured newsletters:
  • MJBizDaily: Business news for cannabis leaders in your inbox each morning
  • MJBiz Cultivator: Insights for wholesale cannabis growers & vertically integrated businesses
  • MJBizCon Buzz: Behind-the-scenes buzz on everything MJBizCon
  • MJBiz Retail + Brand: New products, trends and news for cannabis retailers, distributors and marketers
  • Hemp Industry Week: Roundup of news from hemp farming to CBD product manufacturing
  • And more!

 

The agency:

  • Has increased its staff.
  • Plans to create an accelerator program to educate applicants on how to sustain and grow a businesses.
  • Will offer loans from a $10 million fund.