NewHavenBIZ

8 n e w h a v e n B I Z | M a y / J u n e 2 0 1 9 | n e w h a v e n b i z . c o m T R E N D I N G B E Y O N D T H E H E A D L I N E S Pot of gold: Medical marijuana marketplace heats up T he demand for medical marijuana has grown in recent years — with patients seeking to get access to the drug for ailments ranging from epilepsy to arthritis. Entrepreneurs are seeing a strong business opportunity with potential for future growth and expansion. In New Haven County alone, two medical marijuana dispensaries are opening this spring, including one on Whalley Avenue in New Haven and another in Meriden. Ray Pantalena, a pharmacist with Affinity Health & Wellness Inc., said the company expects to open its dispensary at 1351 Whalley Ave. in New Haven by the middle of May. "Renovations are ongoing cur- rently, and we are in the midst of hiring," Pantalena said. e New Haven location is a former 7-Eleven convenience store, and this will be the city's first medical marijuana dispensary. It is part of a plaza which also includes a walk-in medical care office. Affinity's dispensary will start out with between six and eight employ- ees, and it is expected to employ about a dozen people later on, ac- cording to Pantalena. Pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and clerical staff will be among the workers. Pantalena, a pharmacist since 1980, said he has been working in the medical field in New Haven throughout his career and he con- siders it his home. "is (marijuana dispensary business) was very interesting to me because I have seen great results and very good outcomes for patients," Pantalena said. "e population of patients getting (medical marijuana) cards grows every year, and we feel it will continue growing for years." e state Department of Consumer Protection currently lists nine medical marijuana dispensary facilities in Connecticut, with the closest in Milford and Branford. West Haven has a marijuana production facility, Advanced Grow Labs. In December, the agency announced it was issuing licenses to nine additional dispensary fa- cilities. In addition to Affinity, this included one other facility in New Haven County. Willow Brook Wellness, LLC got a license for a dispensary at 1371 East Main St. in Meriden. While Affiinity's website is still under construction, Willow Brook has launched one at www.willowbrookwellness.com. Individuals can sign up on Willow Brook's website for updates. e Meriden dispensary is expected to open this spring, but no date has been announced. Mary Morgan, pharmacist and dispensary manager, has said the Meriden business will have at least three pharmacists, five technicians and additional support staff work- ing there. When the state issued the additional licenses in the fall, it indicated the Medical Marijuana Program had grown significantly since the last time new facility li- censes were awarded in early 2016. e number of patients using the program was at 8,228 in 2016, and currently it is at 33,782, according to Lora Rae Anderson, a depart- ment spokeswoman. According to Anderson, none of the nine facilities which got licenses in the fall are open yet, but the department anticipates them to all be open by this summer. e state does not currently plan to seek license applications for additional dispensary facilities. "As the program grows, that could of course always change as there is greater need for medica- tion," Anderson said. In Connecticut, medical mari- juana is approved for use to treat 31 medical conditions. Examples include cancer, glaucoma, HIV/ AIDS, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, Crohn's disease, post-traumatic stress disorder, ce- rebral palsy, arthritis, osteogenesis imperfecta, and terminal illness. n — Michelle Tuccitto Sullo By Michelle Tuccitto Sullo

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