Nine license approvals announced Tuesday doubles the number of medical marijuana dispensaries in Connecticut while widening the geographical footprint of the fast-growing program.
The new facilities, spanning the state from Windham to Torrington and Newington to Stamford, bring the number of approved dispensaries to 18. The latest locations are the most aggressive expansion to the program approved by lawmakers in 2012.
“This program has been thoughtfully expanded since the bill was signed in 2012, and medication became available to patients in 2014,” Consumer Protection Commissioner Michelle H. Seagull said in a written statement announcing the new facilities.
The state requested applications for additional medical marijuana dispensaries at the start of the year, seeking three to 10 new facilities. Officials said the Department of Consumer Protection received 73 applications, and settled on nine.
The department last approved new dispensaries in January 2016, awarding two licenses in Milford and one Waterbury. Since then, the number of patients approved to receive medical marijuana has rocketed from 8,228 to 30,448, officials said.
“Originally, there were only 11 conditions that would qualify adults for medication, and there were very few patients. Today, there are 31 conditions for adults, eight for patients under 18, and over 1,000 certifying practitioners,” Seagull said. “This medication has improved the quality of life for tens of thousands of patients. We look forward to working with our partners as the program continues to expand.”
The latest qualifying condition, approved last month, was chronic neuropathic pain associated with degenerative spinal disorders.
The state has four facilities licensed to produce medical marijuana.
Among those who won approval for a new license is Angelo DeFazio, who got one of the first six licenses in 2014 for his Arrow Alternative in Hartford and then opened a location in Milford, receiving approval in 2016.
“I am overjoyed the industry is growing in Connecticut,” said Jason Ortiz, a Hartford resident who serves as vice president of the Minority Cannabis Business Association. But he said his organization will be looking at who received the applications.
“We are going to be looking very closely at who received approvals to make sure Connecticut is reaching for a more equitably industry for communities of color,” Ortiz said.
The latest round of approvals puts dispensaries in seven of Connecticut’s eight counties — including the first locations in Tolland, Windham and Litchfield counties — leaving Middlesex County as the only one without a dispensary. Two more dispensaries would open in Fairfield County and the city of New Haven would get its first dispensary.
A spokeswoman for DCP said the facilities will get licenses after submitting a required $5,000 fee and any final paperwork. It is not immediately clear when the facilities will open, but they can start construction after receiving their license.
The following dispensaries were approved by DCP:
Bhadra Seva LLC, at 2280 Berlin Turnpike, Newington
GR Vending CT LLC, at 78 Plaza Court, Groton
Willow Brook Wellness LLC, at 1371 East Main St., Meriden
Tedra Health LLC, at 1768 Storrs Road, Mansfield
C-3 Ventures LLC, at 3568 Winsted Road, Torrington
Arrow Alternative Care #3, at 806 East Main St., Stamford
Bluepoint Wellness of Westport LLC, at 1460 Post Road East, Westport
FFD Central LLC, at 1548 West Main St., Windham
Affinity Health & Wellness Inc., at 1351 Whalley Ave., New Haven
The approvals come amid growing discussion about legalizing recreational marijuana in Connecticut and just weeks after the first two recreational marijuana stores opened in Massachusetts. In Massachusetts, many of the facilities seeking approval to sell recreational marijuana, including the two stores that opened last month, first served as medical marijuana dispensaries.
Gov.-elect Ned Lamont has said legalizing recreational marijuana is something he supports and is among his early priorities. Democratic legislative leaders, who will have sizable majorities in the General Assembly, also support legalizing marijuana and said they plan to include it in their early agenda.
