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FILE — Flags with a marijuana leaf wave outside the Connecticut State Capitol building, Tuesday, April 20, 2021 in Hartford, Conn. Connecticut's first round of retail cannabis sales for adults 21 and older was set to begin Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2023, morning at seven existing medical marijuana establishments across the state, less than two years after Gov. Ned Lamont signed legislation making Connecticut the latest state to legalize recreational sales.
Fine Fettle Dispensary in Newington today, the first day in Connecticut for adults to legally purchase recreational cannabis.
Ray Moz of South Windsor, Shawn Merritt of Bristol, and Tony Sylvia of Middletown are among the first customers at Fine Fettle Dispensary in Newington today, the first day in Connecticut for adults to legally purchase recreational cannabis.
FILE — Flags with a marijuana leaf wave outside the Connecticut State Capitol building, Tuesday, April 20, 2021 in Hartford, Conn. Connecticut's first round of retail cannabis sales for adults 21 and older was set to begin Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2023, morning at seven existing medical marijuana establishments across the state, less than two years after Gov. Ned Lamont signed legislation making Connecticut the latest state to legalize recreational sales.
Fine Fettle Dispensary in Newington today, the first day in Connecticut for adults to legally purchase recreational cannabis.
The state’s prohibition on recreational cannabis officially ended today with several dispensaries opening throughout the state — some expecting long lines and offering a carnival type atmosphere when their doors opened at 10 a.m. — and two coming soon to Manchester.
Legalization comes following the approval by the General Assembly in 2021 and a lengthy regulatory review process.
During today’s rollout, customers 21 or older can purchase up to a quarter ounce of traditional cannabis flower, or its equivalent in other forms such as edibles.
The limit is designed to ensure adequate supply for both recreational and medicinal use, but is likely to be expanded over time.
Among the locations opening today are three Fine Fettle sites in Newington, Stamford, and Willimantic.
The multistate company expects to open a site on Hale Road in Manchester by the end of the month or early February, Chief Executive Officer Ben Zachs said.
“It’s an incredibly exciting day for us,” he said, adding that his menu went live online Monday night and quickly received more than 70 orders to be picked up today.
Ray Moz of South Windsor, Shawn Merritt of Bristol, and Tony Sylvia of Middletown are among the first customers at Fine Fettle Dispensary in Newington today, the first day in Connecticut for adults to legally purchase recreational cannabis.
Other locations opening today are Affinity Health and Wellness in New Haven, RISE in Branford, The Botanist in Montville, and Zen Leaf Meriden.
Approved dispensaries that will open at a later date are The Botanist in Danbury, Still River Wellness in Torrington, and Curaleaf, which intends to move its Hartford operation to Buckland Street in Manchester in the coming weeks.
Zachs said he has about 100 employees at Fine Fettle’s various locations to prepare for what was expected to be large crowds this morning.
“The demand is there,” he said.
He recommended, however, that customers place their orders online and go pick it up at their closest store in order to provide a more pleasant experience.
Like other retailers, Fine Fettle will offer traditional cannabis, commonly known as “flower,” that can be smoked along with vape products, gummies, and other edible products with THC, the psychoactive compound that produces the sensation.
Different strains with various expected impacts are available, and Zachs expects there to be more variety once retail cannabis expands in the state.
The Fine Fettle Manchester location will be an equity joint venture, a partnership program designed to help ensure those disproportionately impacted by the war on drugs won’t be shut out of the cannabis business.
“That one is really exciting,” Zachs said, adding that aside from sales and revenue, Connecticut’s law also aims to change the stigma surrounding cannabis use.
He noted that thousands of cannabis-related criminal records have been expunged as a result of the law.
“It’s something bigger than just sales,” Zachs said.
Adam Wood, president of the Connecticut Cannabis Chamber of Commerce, noted the impact to the state’s economy.
“This industry is going to create more than 10,000 jobs over the next couple of years, and hundreds of millions in new revenue that will be invested in the communities most hard hit by the war on drugs,” he said. “Today is historic, but the real story is about the benefits to come that will transform lives and communities.”
Cannabis products are supplied by four producers in Connecticut and are highly regulated for quality control.
Every product is tested and there are standards in place to regulate potency, and ensure the products are healthy and pure, Zachs said.
Connecticut legalizing retail sales of the drug coincides with a study published this month showing that young children, particularly toddlers, who accidentally ate cannabis-laced treats rose significantly over five years as more places in the country legalized cannabis.
More than 7,000 confirmed cases of children age 6 and under were reported to the nation’s poison control centers for eating edible cannabis between 2017 and 2021 — an increase from about 200 to more than 3,000 per year.
Nearly a quarter of the children required hospitalization, according to a new analysis published Jan. 3 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Several protections were put in place through the Department of Consumer Protection in Connecticut, including that all cannabis products be sold in childproof packages similar to those for prescription drugs.
Zachs noted that the labels are fairly bland and that edibles are not shaped like animals or marketed to those too young to purchase cannabis products.
Follow Eric on Twitter @BednerEric.
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Eric covers state government and does special projects. Eric joined the JI in June 2014. He graduated from CCSU, and his hobbies include speaking truth to power and exposing hypocrisy. He is a fan of the New York Giants and Metallica.
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