Issue link: https://nebusinessmedia.uberflip.com/i/1395311
14 HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | JULY 26, 2021 Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner David Lehman. Lehman said council members will make decisions and the director will implement them. DECD is currently interviewing executive director candidates, Lehman said. Once formed, SEC members have to identify and publish a list of U.S. Census tracts that qualify as "Areas of Disproportionate Impact" by Aug. 1. Five days later, the SEC is supposed to begin looking for a third- party to conduct a study on racial disparities and consequences of the war on drugs, among other things. SEC members must fi nalize and publicly post fi nal social equity applicant qualifi cations by Sept. 1. Those applicants can begin submitting forms 30 days later, and non-equity businesses can start applying 30 days after that, the law says. Medical dispensaries may begin applying to convert their licenses to serve the adult-use market on Sept. 1. By Sean Teehan steehan@hartfordbusiness.com B efore Gov. Ned Lamont signed into law the bill that legalized recreational cannabis in Connecticut, legislators and advocates spent months painstakingly laying out nearly 300 pages of legislation that detailed how the new industry will work. And that was the easy part. Now that legalized adult-use cannabis is the law of the land, much of the onus for standing up and regulating the industry falls to the Department of Consumer Protection, newly-created Social Equity Council (SEC) and Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD). DCP Commissioner Michelle Seagull, who is largely responsible for building out the legal cannabis industry's regulatory regime, said she expects retail sales will probably start by the end of next year. In the intervening time, DCP and other groups have a lot of work to do, from setting specifi c security standards for dispensaries to creating a state-run workforce development plan for the cannabis industry. "It's very important that we do it correctly, but I think it will happen quickly," Seagull said. "We want a program that refl ects the values and priorities of Connecticut." The speed at which Connecticut's adult-use market can get off the ground partly depends on how quickly the SEC is formed and creates licensing criteria for cannabis businesses. Much of the SEC's responsibilities will deal with social equity applicants, such as identifying geographic areas in the state that have been disproportionately affected by the 50- year war on drugs. But the law gives SEC approval power over non-equity applicants as well. For example, the council must approve an applicant's social equity and workforce development plans before any license is granted. The council will operate as an independent body, but is administratively under the auspices of DECD, which will also hire the SEC's executive director, said Daniel Glissman Michelle Seagull Race to Market Now that 300-page cannabis bill has passed, regulators, others face monumental task getting industry off ground by 2022 Key deadlines for recreational marijuana industry roll out July 22, 2021 Members of the Social Equity Council appointed. Sept. 1, 2021 Social Equity Council must post the documentation necessary to apply for and qualify as a social equity applicant. 30 days after this date is the earliest DCP can begin accepting applications for all license types. 60 days after Sept. 1, social equity applicants are authorized to apply for a cultivator license for three months, not subject to the lottery. Sept. 1, 2021 Medical dispensary facilities can apply to convert to hybrid retailer licenses and apply for delivery of medical marijuana products, with delivery starting after Jan. 1, 2022, or earlier as approved by the DCP. No later than Jan. 1, 2022 The Social Equity Council must fi nalize its recommendations to implement its mandates. A staff member at Rocky Hill-based medical cannabis grower CTPharma checks on the marijuana fl owers. PHOTO | YEHYUN KIM/CTMIRROR.ORG