LOCAL NEWS
CONNECTICUT LEADS THE WAY
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onnecticut is now poised to beat nearby behemoths New York and New Jersey to the recreational Cannabis market. Despite being the last of the three states to legalize marijuana, regulators anticipate retail sales beginning in Connecticut before the end of 2022, and possibly even earlier. If that happens, the Constitution State could be the first in the tri-state area to offer legal pot sales. After a rocky start in New York, as former Gov. Andrew Cuomo failed to create important regulatory boards charged with creating industry rules, the Empire State appeared back on track under the leadership of new Gov. Kathy Hochul. However, New York’s Cannabis Control Board recently acknowledged that it would need another 18 months to create the pot program’s regulations. The
latest estimate puts off issuing business licenses for a year and a half, and it will likely be longer before sales begin – meaning Cannabis won’t be available for retail in New York until late in 2023. “What we do control is getting [marijuana businesses] licensing and giving them all the tools so they can work within our systems … That’s what we are saying will be achieved in 18 months. Not that they’re open, not that they’ll be full-blown operations, because we don’t know that,” Control Board Chair Tremaine Wright said of the new timeline. When New York does eventually get its retail pot program implemented, experts expect it will ultimately top $2 billion in sales annually. While Connecticut’s estimated marijuana market pales in comparison to neighboring New York, analysts forecast sales reaching $750 million by the fourth year of the program. That’s in addition to an anticipated $225 million in medical Cannabis sales expected by 2025 – the state currently boasts nearly 54,000 registered patients. Both New York and Connecticut placed an emphasis on social equity in their respective Cannabis laws. In Connecticut, 50 percent of adult-use marijuana businesses have been earmarked for qualified equity applicants. And, in addition to other benefits, the first round of cultivation licenses will be reserved for equity applicants who open businesses in areas disproportionately impacted by prohibition.
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ear not, a cap on high potency Cannabis is not coming to Massachusetts. After looking into potential adverse effects caused by pot products containing high concentrations of THC, the state’s Cannabis Control Commission (CCC) has decided not to recommend setting a limit on potency. The commission’s researchers were unable to find sufficient scientific evidence of risks associated with high potency pot and therefore decided against recommending a cap. The study fulfilled an obligation written into the state’s marijuana law. After Massachusetts voters passed legalization in 2016, the legislature approved a bill establishing an adult-use law. That bill called for the CCC to examine “the effects of marijuana and marijuana products with a high potency of tetrahydrocannabinol on the human body, and recommend whether there should be restrictions on the potency of tetrahydrocannabinol in marijuana and marijuana products.” The CCC noted that THC levels in both the illicit and legal marijuana markets have been on the rise and that high-potency pot products have a large share of the adult-use retail market. However, the commission also acknowledged the difficulties in
studying Cannabis, as research involving pot is heavily restricted and the marijuana grown for studies at the University of Mississippi, “does not mirror the array of products and THC concentrations sold at Cannabis retailers (or in the illicit market), or the variety and regional differences in Cannabis.” Ultimately the CCC did “not find sufficient evidence to recommend a concentration cap” for potent pot. The commission also noted that creating such a potency limit would have the unintended consequence of encouraging those seeking such products to turn to the illicit market. However, the research team did recommend that regulators improve data collection efforts for the adult-use industry for future studies. The state currently caps THC potency in edibles, allowing no more than 5.5mg of THC per serving and a maximum of 20 servings per package.
Photo by Girl With Red Hat
DEC. 2021
