{"id":60595,"date":"2023-01-11T09:30:43","date_gmt":"2023-01-11T17:30:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/2023\/01\/11\/connecticut-governor-touts-opening-day-of-adult-use-marijuana-sales-and-calls-new-york-crazy-for-starting-with-just-one-shop\/"},"modified":"2023-01-11T17:45:34","modified_gmt":"2023-01-12T01:45:34","slug":"connecticut-governor-touts-opening-day-of-adult-use-marijuana-sales-and-calls-new-york-crazy-for-starting-with-just-one-shop","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/2023\/01\/11\/connecticut-governor-touts-opening-day-of-adult-use-marijuana-sales-and-calls-new-york-crazy-for-starting-with-just-one-shop\/","title":{"rendered":"Connecticut Governor Touts Opening Day Of Adult-Use Marijuana Sales And Calls New York \u2018Crazy\u2019 For Starting With Just One Shop"},"content":{"rendered":"<\/p>\n

Last week, New Jersey and New York regulators took each other to task<\/a> over which state approached their adult-use marijuana market rollout better. Now, Connecticut\u2019s governor is joining the rhetorical rumble after his state launched recreational sales on Tuesday, entering the tri-state war of words on cannabis.<\/p>\n

Hours before Connecticut\u2019s first recreational shops opened their doors<\/a>, Gov. Ned Lamont (D) reflected on the adult-use program in New York, which involved just one storefront late last month, saying that the limited launch \u201cseemed crazy to me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lamont said in an interview with PLR radio\u2019s Chaz and AJ show that he\u2019s confident his state was prepared to start the market, with purchasing limits imposed on adult consumers to ensure access for medical cannabis patients. Officials also encouraged patients to buy what they needed ahead of the launch in the event that demand proved greater than expected.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not as worried about the supply and demand,\u201d the governor said, adding that he feels that pricing and quality control will entice consumers to abandon the illicit market for regulated shops. \u201cI think we\u2019re going to put the underground market out of business over a period of time.\u201d<\/p>\n

But with respect to neighboring New York, Lamont said that regulators\u2019 decision to start recreational sales with just one shop<\/a> in Manhattan seemed \u201ccrazy\u201d given the large population and strong consumer demand for recreational marijuana products.<\/p>\n

New Jersey\u2019s Cannabis Regulatory Commission (NJ-CRC) similarly took a hit at New York earlier this month, posting a tweet that sarcastically called the state \u201ccute\u201d for opening a single dispensary for adult consumers. New Jersey, in contrast, opened 12 shops out of the gate.<\/p>\n

New York has taken the criticism in stride, arguing that the state is being deliberative about its launch and working to put equity ahead of profit. That first shop that opened is operated by a non-profit that provides HIV\/AIDS-related and homelessness assistance, for example.<\/p>\n

Also, regulators approved a total of 36 conditional adult-use dispensary licenses, primarily meant for people who\u2019ve been disproportionately impacted by the drug war. Those other licensees will be rolled out in the coming weeks and months.<\/p>\n

In response to the NJ-CRC diss, New York\u2019s Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) hit back by challenging New Jersey\u2019s priorities in a since-deleted tweet.<\/p>\n

\u201cGood things take time. You know, equity and impact, over quantity and corporate profits,\u201d OCM said. \u201cWe\u2019re going to make sure New York does this rollout the right way with a market centered on social and economic equity.\u201d<\/p>\n

Connecticut\u2019s regulators, meanwhile, are touting the success of the first day of recreational sales in the state, with the Department of Consumer Protection (DCP) calling it a \u201csmooth\u201d opening that saw $251,276 in marijuana purchases by 5 PM ET on Tuesday.<\/p>\n

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It’s been a smooth and successful opening of the adult-use cannabis market. Read the latest update:https:\/\/t.co\/pEyefCKlms<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection (@CTDCP) January 10, 2023<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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\u201cWe have had no reported issues at any of our retailers, and we are proud of the successful launch of the regulated adult-use market,\u201d DCP Commissioner Michelle Seagull said<\/a> in a press release. \u201cWe continue to remind consumers to be patient as they make their initial purchases, and to use these products responsibly, including taking into consideration the delayed onset of effects some of these products can have.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the new radio interview, Lamont also joked<\/a> that one of his concerns about the rollout would be finding a place in line at one of the dispensaries. He wasn\u2019t being serious, but the governor previously didn\u2019t rule out the idea<\/a> of participating in the legal marketplace.<\/p>\n

He said in this latest interview that he hasn\u2019t smoked cannabis in \u201cmany, many years.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

Governor Lamont was on with @ChazandAJ<\/a> to commemorate the “opening day” of legalized recreational marijuana in the state. What does he think about testing for DUI, and when was the last time he enjoyed some marijuana?<\/p>\n

Listen: https:\/\/t.co\/4JdXVdzbjk<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/n1ozvCuhN6<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 99.1 PLR (@991PLRFM) January 11, 2023<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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Meanwhile, Lamont announced earlier this month that the state has cleared nearly 43,000 records for marijuana-related convictions. The legalization\u00a0legislation that he signed into law in 2021<\/a>\u00a0empowered the state government\u00a0to facilitate mass cannabis conviction relief<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0state also launched a web portal on Monday<\/a>\u00a0that provides residents with information about the status of their cannabis records and also guides those with older eligible convictions that weren\u2019t automatically erased through the process of petitioning the courts for relief.<\/p>\n

The governor also signed a large-scale budget bill last year that includes provisions to set the state up to provide certain patients with access to psychedelic-assisted treatment<\/a>\u00a0using substances like MDMA and psilocybin.<\/p>\n

A Connecticut representative filed a bill for the new session to\u00a0legalize \u201cthe use of psilocybin for medicinal and therapeutic purposes<\/a>, including, but not limited to, the provision of physical, mental or behavioral health care.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Top GOP Wisconsin Lawmaker Says Medical Marijuana Deal Isn\u2019t Close, Warning Governor Against Recreational Push<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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Photo courtesy of Mike Latimer.<\/em><\/p>\n

The post Connecticut Governor Touts Opening Day Of Adult-Use Marijuana Sales And Calls New York \u2018Crazy\u2019 For Starting With Just One Shop<\/a> appeared first on Marijuana Moment<\/a>.<\/p>\n


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Last week, New Jersey and New York regulators took each other to task over which state approached their adult-use marijuana market rollout better. Now, Connecticut\u2019s governor is joining the rhetorical rumble after his state launched recreational sales on Tuesday, entering the tri-state war of words on cannabis. Hours before Connecticut\u2019sContinue Reading<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":458,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"false","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[18,81],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60595"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/458"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=60595"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60595\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":60596,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60595\/revisions\/60596"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=60595"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=60595"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=60595"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}