More than 37,000 applications for 56 cannabis business licenses in Connecticut have been submitted before the final deadline passed last week, with most seeking to do business in underrepresented communities.
The state Department of Consumer Protection received 13,806 applications for the general lottery and 23,487 for the social equity license established by the General Assembly for communities hardest hit by the government’s war on drugs. Among eight categories, retail operations drew the most applications, at 15,606.
Several other categories include food and beverage manufacturers, cultivators and delivery service. The last 90-day deadline passed Wednesday.
“I think it’s a higher number than most people expected,” said Sarah Westby, co-chair of the Cannabis Team at the Shipman & Goodwin law firm and member of its employment and labor practice group.
Observers of Connecticut’s developing cannabis industry have expected larger operators to submit applications in several categories, she said. Future lottery rounds could be in the summer or early fall, Westby said.
