Marijuana Business Magazine February 2019

Marijuana Business Magazine | February 2019 108 For information about cannabis regulations in other markets, order the Marijuana Business Factbook 2018 at mjbizdaily.com/factbook. Main measure Year Passed Cannabis business regulations Patient Registry State tax requirements Sampling of state medical marijuana licensing fees House Bill 5389 2012 Producers and dispensaries are separately licensed and may not be integrated. The number of available licenses is capped low and tightly controlled. Licensing fees and bond/ escrow requirements for producers are some of the highest in the country. Regulations on operations are detailed and extensive, covering everything from location and security to transportation and advertising. Only a licensed pharmacist can apply for a dispensary license, and only a pharmacist or individuals who have held a pharmacy technician registration within the previous five years may sell medical marijuana. Mandatory: Patients must have a written recommendation from a physician. $3.50 per gram controlled substances tax Application Dispensary: $1,000 Producer: $25,000 License Dispensary: $5,000 Producer: $75,000  What to watch • Connecticut is a growing MMJ market where the registered patient count has ballooned to more than 30,000—prompting state regulators to take applications for more retail business permits. Officials may issue more cultivation licenses as well, as many dispensaries have been arguing that the four licensed growers won’t be able to meet demand. • Although Connecticut does not include chronic pain as a qualifying condition and rejected a proposal to add opioid addiction, since 2014 the state has increased the number of qualifying conditions from 11 to 31. Further expansion could boost patient counts. 2018 was a period of tremendous expansion for the Constitution State’s medical marijuana market. Patient counts boomed 37% between January and December, eclipsing 30,000 in December and prompting regulators to double the number of MMJ dispensary licenses from nine to 18. Regulators also expanded the list of qualifying conditions to a total of 31 for adults. While some are calling for the state to increase the number of producer licenses—currently capped at four—to stave off potential product shortages, Connecticut cultivators claim they will be able to meet demand through an expansion of existing facilities. Market At A Glance | Connecticut