DCP urges CT medical marijuana users to shop before Tuesday

Connecticut’s first adult-use cannabis shops will open Tuesday at 10 a.m., and the state Department of Consumer Protection is encouraging registered medical marijuana patients to purchase their medicine before then to avoid long lines and traffic.

“Patients who can make purchases ahead of time, or have their medicine delivered, are advised to do so," DCP Commissioner Michelle H. Seagull said in a news release. "Although many of the hybrid retailers will provide separate checkout counters or cash registers for Medical Marijuana Program patients, they may still experience increased traffic, as well as crowds in and around the hybrid retailers in the opening days of the market,” the news release said.

The Medical Marijuana Program serves nearly 50,000 patients with qualifying conditions, according to the news release. To purchase medical marijuana products from a medical marijuana dispensary or hybrid retailer, patients must be certified as having a qualifying condition by a practitioner and then obtain the appropriate DCP registrations. Medical marijuana patients can purchase up to 5 ounces of cannabis per month.

The DCP has notified nine existing medical marijuana dispensaries in the state that they can begin selling recreational pot to all adults 21 and older Tuesday. Adult-use customers will be able to buy up to a quarter ounce of cannabis. The DCP said purchase limits will continue to be reviewed to help maintain an adequate supply for adult-use consumers and medical marijuana patients.