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n e w h a v e n b i z . c o m | J u n e 2 0 2 2 | n e w h a v e n B I Z 15 IMPACT HEALTHCARE WITH HEART MASTER OF PUBLIC HEALTH Be prepared to protect and improve the health of individuals and entire communities. Benefit from hands-on learning opportunities and national-recognized faculty. You will graduate with the skills to be successful in a career such as a public health educator, community health worker or epidemiologist. Courses are designed to fit your schedule, and can be completed in as little as one year. www.sacredheart.edu/mph the "giing loophole" was one of them. Highly organized and commercialized giing events like the High Bazaar were likely to attract the attention of regulators, he added. "I think one of the things that the lawmakers and municipalities are saying is these are sort of corporate enterprises. And if you're going to run some sort of corporate enterprise or undertaking that involves selling cannabis, you need to have a license," Pomerantz said. "We need to know who you are, you need to have a license and you need to be under the state's regulatory control." Quality and safety standards were at issue along with revenue for the state from the cannabis industry. (e state Office of Fiscal Analysis predicts the state by 2026 will reap $55.2 million in taxes annually from the legal cannabis industry.) Connecticut is not the only state to deal with controversy around cannabis giing, Pomerantz noted. In Washington, D.C., cannabis giing shops have become a major retail presence due to the city's unique status – a federal district governed by federal bans on marijuana that has voted to approve recreational use by its citizens. "It's not a state – they have embraced the giing model and even farmers markets for cannabis products because it's legal [under city law]," Pomerantz said. As a result of the city's hands- off policy, stores have popped up all over D.C. that offer small amounts of cannabis as a free gi with the purchase of a T-shirt, artwork or even a slice of pizza. In April, the D.C. Council voted against a crackdown on the giing shops. Connecticut lawmakers' quick action on giing is unlikely to discourage most entrepreneurs seeking a foothold in the state's cannabis industry, Pomerantz said. "e more regulatory clarity that we have, the happier everybody is… because you know what we can and can't do." Most of all, the High Bazaar and other grassroots cannabis events across the state have proven there is an eager market for the product, even in suburban areas like Hamden. e presence of a wide range of tinctures and edible products at the events also show enthusiasm for cannabis beyond just "flower," the smokable buds and leaves of the marijuana plant. "It's a good thing for the cannabis industry in Connecticut, because it shows that there's a demand, it shows that there are people who want the product," Pomerantz said. "If you can run your business properly, there is the opportunity to do well." As for the grassroots cannabis entrepreneurs of the Hamden High Bazaar, word was that giing events were still happening somewhere in town in the months before the new law was passed. Entrance was by invitation only. One likely new rule: No TV cameras allowed. n The scene at Hamden's High Bazaar in summer 2021, as captured by a blogger known as "Dabbin Dad."

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