Connecticut has seen its cannabis sales dwarfed by neighboring states, so maybe cafes will help consumption trends.
Connecticut House of Representatives by Rep. Aundré Bumgardner, D-Groton and Stonington, has introduced a bill to amend the cannabis law to allow cannabis cafes and restaurants. The sparse on-sentence bill would permit the opening of lounges that would offer cannabis-infused food items, beverages and other products.
Twelve states out of 24 have legal adult-use cannabis laws that permit consumption lounges. These include Alaska, California, Colorado, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, and New York.
Proponents of consumption lounges often make the argument that individuals who live in federal-subsidized housing or apartment rentals that don’t allow for indoor cannabis use need a place to go to consume cannabis.
According to data from the Department of Consumer Protection, Green Market Report wrote that sales in the state reached $17.6 million in November, the second-highest monthly total since the state’s recreational market launched in January 2023. Medical marijuana sales totaled $6.7 million for the month. The total number of recreational cannabis products sold also rose month-over-month, climbing to approximately 465,000 units in November from 398,000 in October.
Still, the state’s next-door neighbor Massachusetts is seeing huge sales comparatively. Even its neighbor to the south, tiny Rhode Island managed to sell half as much as Connecticut despite its much bigger size and population.
Lounge scene
While consumption lounges thrive in places like Amsterdam, they haven’t been seen as very profitable in the U.S. Some states, like Nevada and New York, expect to see big demand for them but have been slow to get off the ground. Planet 13 in Las Vegas opened its Dazed lounge in April 2024 where patrons enter through a phone booth like a speakeasy.
Connecticut’s neighbor New York has seen several unlicensed lounges open over the past few years, usually requiring a private membership. However, the state recently began issuing lounge licenses, and many are expected to open in 2025.
Its other neighbor Massachusetts is going all in. In December, Green Market Report wrote that Massachusetts cannabis regulators approved sweeping draft rules for marijuana consumption lounges and event venues for public comment, with the hope of creating a sustainable business framework while addressing challenges that have derailed similar efforts in other states.
The state’s Cannabis Control Commission unveiled the long-anticipated regulations, which establish three license types:
Supplemental permits for existing dispensaries
Stand-alone consumption venues
Event organizers
Connecticut looks like it is trying to stay competitive with its fellow New England states as it begins to address public consumption.
H/t: www.greenmarketreport.com
You can view the whole article at this link Are cannabis cafes coming to Connecticut?