EAST HAVEN — A draft of an application proposing to establish a separate zoning district for recreational cannabis sales is nearly complete, according to a town planning official.
To give officials more time to finalize the application, East Haven Planning and Zoning Commission members recently approved a three-month extension to a moratorium on applications for recreational cannabis facilities. The moratorium was set to expire Dec. 31.
The application, which would amend East Haven’s zoning regulations to allow businesses to sell adult-use cannabis within a defined area of town, is about “98% complete,” Zoning Enforcement Officer Joseph Budrow said Tuesday. The PZC is expected to receive the application ahead of its Jan. 4 meeting and schedule a public hearing on the proposal for its regular meeting in February, according to Budrow.
Budrow said multiple members of the public spoke in favor of extending the moratorium at the PZC’s Dec. 19 meeting, with one person advocating for the committee not to rush the process
The PZC has expressed a willingness to allow adult-use cannabis sales in town since passing a 12-month moratorium on those applications in December 2021, according to Budrow. During a special meeting in August, the commission discussed possible locations for recreational cannabis facilities, Budrow said. The commission also heard from cannabis experts at a special meeting in April, which was attended by Town Council members, he added.
“There have been plenty of opportunities for the commission to express opinions,” he said.
The adult-use market will begin early next year in Connecticut, as nine existing medical marijuana dispensaries will be allowed to sell recreational pot to all adults 21 and older starting Jan. 10, the state’s Department of Consumer Protection said this month.
Possession and use of up to 1.5 ounces of cannabis became legal in Connecticut on July 1, 2021, but it has taken the state about 18 months to set up a regulated marketplace.
H/T: www.ctinsider.com
