NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH) – Affinity Health and Wellness on Whalley Avenue is ready to serve adult use customers starting at 10:00 Tuesday morning. They’re expecting long lines for the first couple weeks, but they’ve made changes to make the process is as smooth as possible.
Affinity has been selling medical marijuana for three years. They expect their client base to jump when recreational sales start this week.
Ray Pantalena, Affinity Health and Wellness managing partner explained, “The last six weeks have been really busy. We’ve done some remodeling inside to accommodate the extra business.”
They’ve hired 20 additional staff members, purchased three more registers and boosted security to handle the high demand. The 20 new hires are all from New Haven.
“The city has been very positive towards us and we want to do everything we can to give back.”
This is one of the nine approved and licensed hybrid cannabis retailers in the state. Here’s how it will work at Affinity: customers will have to place a pre-order online and then will join a queue outside the dispensary when they come to pick up. Everyone has to get buzzed into the building and then check in by showing a government ID to prove they are at least 21 years old. Then they are able to pick up their order.
“Staff at Affinity are still prioritizing their medical patients, these two windows are here just for them, and all the adult use clients will be directed to these windows.” Pantalena shared, “The medical patients are what the programs been built on. Seven years they’ve been patients in this state, they have conditions that cannabis has helped them with, and we have to make sure we can continue their care.”
Medical patients won’t have to wait in line. The state rules say they can purchase up to 5 ounces of cannabis per month. Recreational customers can only buy a quarter ounce at most – for now.
“As the program rolls out, as they can see how much production the license producers and growers can do, they’re probably going to raise it.”
H/T: www.wtnh.com
