Cannabis retailer eyes bigger location in Amity Plaza

NEW HAVEN — The city’s only dispensary, Affinity Health and Wellness, which also has a retail cannabis component at its current site, is looking to move to a bigger location, a month after recreational marijuana sales began.

The business is seeking a special permit from the city to operate a hybrid medical/ recreational cannabis facility in Amity Plaza near the Woodbridge line, where Stop & Shop, Planet Fitness and multiple retailers and restaurants also are located.

Ray Pantalena, Affinity’s owner, said in a brief phone interview the proposed move has been in the making for about eight months and that the business is not seeking to establishing another location but rather to move into a larger space. The new space would be about 50 percent larger, he said.

According to the application, the 7,425-square-foot unit Pantalena is looking to rent is in the building along the north side of the site at 130 Amity Road, one of the locations where cannabis sales are allowed, according to the city.

Asked why that particular plaza, Pantalena said “just to stay close for our medical patients and to have more room.”

“Having owned and operated a medical marijuana dispensary in the City since June, 2019, without incident, the applicant is an experienced operator of these products and is a known and respected operator in the community, knowledgeable of both local and state regulations pertaining to such facilities,” the application states.

A public hearing before the City Plan Commission for Affinity’s move was set for Wednesday evening.

Recreational sales for marijuana in Connecticut began in January; Affinity was one of the seven retailers across the state that first opened. The sales began with a long line throughout the opening day. “Of course, we saw new customers. We’re not seeing just medical patients. We’re also seeing adult-use customers,” Pantelena said of a noticeable jump in his customer base.

Sales of cannabis exceeded $13.3 million in January, according to preliminary data released by the state. To break it down, $5.1 million was from recreational cannabis sales and another $8.2 million was from sales of medical cannabis.