Panel reviews how to apply for recreational pot business license
Connecticut’s Social Equity Council on Tuesday previewed the online applications for hopefuls looking to participate in the recreational cannabis market, marking one of the first public glimpses at the process.
The applications can be accessed online, Rodrick Marriott, director of the Department of Consumer Protection’s Drug Control Division, told council members. Marriott walked members through the step-bystep processes for retail applicants and a portion of the process for financial backers.
“A complete application is better than a rushed application,” Marriott said.
Applicants will typically have 90 days after the window opens to submit their paperwork through the portal. The application windows for retailer licenses and disproportionately impacted area cultivators open Thursday.
The disproportionately affected area cultivator license type isn’t subject to a lottery.
The retailer category, like most license types, will be awarded through a lottery process. Half will go to social equity applicants. Social equity status is determined by location and income.
Windows for other license types are set to open on a rolling basis through March. More lottery rounds will open based on the market needs.
A full list of backers, a list of any other Connecticut cannabis establishments the business is affiliated with or plans to apply for, business establishment documents, an organizational chart and compensation agreements are among the documents needed for general retailer licenses, according to a Department of Consumer Protection checklist.
Checklists for other license types are available online.
Social equity applicants will also have to prove social equity status as well as provide workforce development plans and meet ownership control requirements, among other documentation, according to the Department of Consumer Protection website.
The portal will prompt applicants to fill in or submit documents for required fields with a small, red star, Marriott said. For some documents that may not be available yet, such as incorporation documents, applicants can submit a Word document with an explanation, Marriott said.
Council member Michael Jefferson asked whether reminders to take time on the application could be added. Marriott said the prompt was included at the beginning of the process and information was available on the state’s website.
“There’s going to be a snafu or two that’s going to cause the application to be rejected,” Jefferson said.
The council is providing technical assistance, including an educational webinar series that kicks off Thursday.
Once the applications are submitted, the Department of Consumer Protection will run two lotteries for each application — one for general applicants and one social equity.
The Social Equity Council is charged with reviewing the social equity applications to ensure they meet the qualifications.
The council voted Tuesday to seek a third-party contractor to help review applications. Council interim executive director Ginne Rae Clay said she planned to seek a company that was already under contract with the state.
The council plans to further discuss the exact role of the third-party contractor and the process for reviewing applications at a later meeting.
“It’s in the law what we have to do,” member Christine Shaw said. “So I think whatever we decide to do in terms of process absolutely has to be informed by what the law requires, and if there’s a question about what the law requires, we need to go back to square one.”
Members also voted Tuesday to give Clay the authority to hire staff without council approval. She plans to have eight people on staff to help with outreach and technical assistance, among other tasks for the social equity council.
“We need to have some trust here, and I fully support the interim executive director hiring her people,” member Avery Gaddis said.