Gov. Ned Lamont on Tuesday tapped an economic development official to lead the council charged with ensuring social equity in the recreational cannabis market, once legalized sales begin early next year.
Paul O. Robertson, a deputy commissioner at the Department of Economic and Community Development, was appointed by Lamont to chair the Social Equity Council, replacing the current chairwoman, Andrea Comer. His term will begin once Comer steps down in early January.
“I am grateful to Governor Lamont for entrusting me with this important role and I look forward to serving the state in this new capacity,” Robertson said in a statement released by the governor’s office. “Deputy Commissioner Comer has done a tremendous job leading the Social Equity Council to this point, and I plan to continue to work alongside its members and our partner agencies to ensure the adult-use cannabis market grows equitably.”
Earlier this month, Comer announced that she would step down from her volunteer position atop the Social Equity Council, as well as her job overseeing the launch of the recreational cannabis market as a deputy commissioner at the Department of Consumer Protection.
Comer left both of those roles in order to take the job of chief of staff for Treasurer-elect Erick Russell, who will be sworn in on Jan. 4.
Neither Lamont nor the Department of Consumer Protection have announced who will fill Comer’s duties as deputy commissioner at DCP.
While DCP has oversight of many of the administrative aspects of the recreational marijuana roll out, the Social Equity Council was established to ensure that the legal market includes businesses that are owned by people who are from communities afflicted by the decades-long War on Drugs.
Half of the licenses to sell recreational cannabis were reserved for qualified so-called social equity applicants through a lottery system. After receiving more than 15,000 applications, the state announced the first lottery winners earlier this year.
“Connecticut’s adult-use cannabis program is at a pivotal time right now, and I appreciate the steps the Social Equity Council has taken to date to ensure that it is rolled out in an equitable manner as we envisioned when we enacted this law,” Lamont said in a statement Tuesday. “Paul will bring relevant experience and strong existing relationships with council members to his role as chair, and I thank him for agreeing to take on this leadership position.”
The first sales of legal, recreational marijuana are expected to begin on Jan. 10 at nine dispensaries that were already in existence as part of the state’s medical market.
Shoppers over age 21 will be able to buy up to a quarter ounce of marijuana at those dispensaries once legal sales begin.
H/T: www.newstimes.com
