A new and somewhat controversial business is getting ready to open up in Canton, Connecticut.  It’s a marijuana dispensary, allowed for the first time this year thanks to a new Connecticut law.  The business got off the ground with the help of Daniel Glissman, lawyer at MacDermid Reynolds and Glissman Co. who practices cannabis law and offers legal advice and services to cultivators, manufacturers, and retailers in the cannabis industry.

MRG has represented many individuals that were selected to have a marijuana license in Connecticut. Glissman and his colleagues help cultivators, clients, retailers, manufacturers, product packagers and more achieve their business goals.

In Canton, Glissman represented two women who will soon open the dispensary, Slap Ash LLC. The decision to open a dispensary on Route 44 was in a contentious zoning process but ultimately the project went though. Glissman was influential in this change.

“It would be great if people were more educated on cannabis, the sky doesn’t fall down when you have a dispensary in your town…

In the next two years, certainly five years because they will see Canton has a store and nothing is wrong with it,” said Glissman.

While Canton continues to bring change, it would not have been possible without Connecticuts new laws and regulations surrounding recreational cannabis.

For years the United States has had a back-and-forth battle about marijuana and the pros and cons that come along with it. Some states like Maine, Colorado and California have had recreational marijuana legal for years. Now in 2023 Connecticut is one of the many states to allow recreational marijuana to be consumed and purchased.

In June of 2011 former Governor Dannel Malloy signed a law decriminalizing marijuana possession.  In 2012 he signed a law allowing medical cannabis use, and in 2023 current Governor Ned Lamont signed into law anyone over the age of 21 can possess and purchase cannabis. Lamont also implemented into law that, as of Jan. 1, 2023, low level cannabis crimes will be expunged and or cleared.

There are currently many different medical and recreational dispensaries open in Connecticut. There are one’s in New Haven, Branford, Stamford, Bristol, and Newington to name a few. Towns like Simsbury, Old Saybrook, Guilford, and Madison have decided to wait on opening a dispensary in their town.

Guilford, Connecticut recently held a hearing about the idea of a dispensary opening in their town. This hearing focused on local zoning, license types, concern for retail, municipal decision making authority, and restrictions on where it can and cannot be consumed. Many folks had a lot to say about their concern for the safety of their children, should a dispensary open.

“Is this what we want to see in Guilford?” asked a resident.

Throughout the forum many residents raised concern about the need for accurate education and information about cannabis. Guilford is one of the many towns in Connecticut that has held off on building a dispensary.

The decision to wait on opening a dispensary in Simsbury, Connecticut came down to Chris Peterson and other members of the Board of Selectman. In recent years, the zoning board was in charge of making certain decisions regarding the town of Simsbury in situations like this. Not this time. Peterson and some of his colleagues realized that the citizens of Simsbury did not have enough information regarding recreational cannabis.

There are three lenses that Peterson has investigated leading to his decision regarding the town. These lenses include education, safety, and life experience.

Education plays a large role in the decision of allowing marijuana shops in Simsbury and Peterson and other board members did not think the town had enough hard information to make that decision.

Next, Peterson spoke about safety issues in allowing dispensaries to open to the public in Simsbury.  Many residents expressed real concern that opening these shops could bring safety issues.  Peterson urges community education as a primary focus in considering this recent change. 

Peterson’s final lens focuses on life experiences and changes that may happen to younger Simsbury residents who are not fully aware of the possible physical and mental side effects surrounding cannabis.

“Teen cannabis abuse has increased 245% over 20 years, study finds.”

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Finally, Peterson and his board members felt secure that there was plenty of business in Simsbury and they did not see this as an economic need.

The continuous back and forth battle in Simsbury ultimately led Peterson and his colleagues to instill an 18-month moratorium. It will give towns people the opportunity to educate themselves on the use of cannabis and dispensaries.

There are still residents who want dispensaries in Simsbury. For these Simsbury residents to be heard, there must be a total 2,000 signatures to set a question in the 2024 ballot. The First Selectwomen of Simsbury, Wendy Mackstutis, said that each time she sees the ballot of signatures there is an increase and is in favor of retail cannabis in Simsbury.

“I don’t think if a dispensary opens that it will create a problem, there are dispensaries in our neighboring towns.” said Mackstutis

Vice President of Operations for Affinity Corporate Group Eric Wellman, a leading occupational health, population, and disease management life sciences organization, and Mackstutis did not agree with the board’s decision, but understood that Simsbury residents need to and deserve to have the time to gather more information. The 18-month moratorium will also allow the town of Simsbury to see how other towns are educating their residents on cannabis.

While many people are still unsure about the recreational use of cannabis in their communities, education remains a very important factor. In Connecticut some adult cannabis users remain satisfied with Lamont’s decision to legalize recreational cannabis and see it as a potential increase in revenue

“I’m not originally from Connecticut, but over of my time living here I have seen the laws change about cannabis. It seems Connecticut is changing like other states and it’s nice to see.” said Tess Greenwood, resident of Hamden, Connecticut.

This change in Connecticut is only the beginning. It has been nearly four months since Ned Lamont legalized the consumption and purchase of recreational cannabis, and starting July 2023 adults will be able to grow cannabis inside their homes.