The Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection is seeking applicants for three new licenses to sell medical marijuana after what it says was a successful start to the program, with the number of registered patients using marijuana doubling in less than a year.
“As public awareness about the safety and quality of Connecticut-grown medical marijuana increases, we are seeing steady growth in physician and patient acceptance of the program,” department Commissioner Jonathan A. Harris said in the announcement. “Since last fall, when dispensaries first began selling medical marijuana, the number of patients registered in the program has more than doubled. Specifically, the number of registered patients rose from 1,683 in September 2014 to 4,097 this month.”
Harris said more dispensaries are needed in New Haven and Fairfield counties, specifically.
Both counties have one dispensary ”“ Compassionate Care of Connecticut operates out of Bethel in Fairfield County and Branford”™s Bluepoint Wellness Connecticut in New Haven County.
The state”™s other four dispensaries are in Bristol, Hartford, South Windsor and Uncasville.
There are four licensed producers of medical marijuana in the state, with no indication from the Department of Consumer Protection whether more will be permitted.
The department stated that although it plans to award three dispensary licenses in this round of applications, it “reserves the right to award more licenses if it concludes additional dispensaries are desirable.”
“Furthermore, even if more licenses are not awarded during this RFA (request for applications) round, the department expects to issue an RFA for additional facilities in other counties in the future, if the program”™s success continues.”
