Adult-Use Cannabis Licensing Program

The Department of Consumer Protection is responsible for licensing and regulating medical and adult-use cannabis establishments in Connecticut. For questions about adult-use cannabis licensing and regulation, please email dcp.cannabis@ct.gov.

Cannabis Establishment Licenses:

There are currently no lotteries being conducted for cannabis establishment licenses. Future lottery dates have not yet been announced. Please regularly check back with this page for updates and announcements.

The department is currently accepting applications for Equity Joint Ventures.

All applications will be online. They will become available at elicense.ct.gov on the opening date of each application period.

eLicense Application Instructions

IMPORTANT: All individuals that are identified as backers associated with the cannabis establishment application must also complete a backer application before the close of the application window to ensure they are considered as part of the application.

Below are the different cannabis licenses and registrations issued by the Department and general information about each license type. Click on each license type for more information, including how and when to apply:

Growing

Cultivator – Grows cannabis for medical and adult use. At least 15,000 square feet of grow space is required for this license type.
Micro-cultivator – Grows cannabis for medical and adult use. Between 2,000 and 10,000 square feet of grow space, prior to any expansion authorized by the commissioner. May apply for an expansion of grow space in increments of 5,000 square feet per year.
Producer – Grows cannabis for medicinal use. No additional licenses for producers will be issued at this time. Producers interested in growing cannabis for adult-use may apply to convert their license to an expanded producer license.

Manufacturing

Product Manufacturer – Performs cannabis extraction, chemical synthesis and permitted manufacturing activities.
Food and Beverage Manufacturer – Incorporate cannabis into food or beverage intended for human consumption.
Product Packager – Labels and packages cannabis in compliance with state statutes, regulations and policies.

Sales

Retailer – Sells cannabis only to consumers for adult-use.
Hybrid Retailer – Sells cannabis to consumers for adult-use and to qualifying patients and caregivers for medical use.
Dispensary Facility – Sells cannabis only to qualifying patients and caregivers for medical use. No additional dispensary facility licenses will be issued at this time. Existing dispensary facilities may apply to convert their license to a hybrid retail license to allow for the sale of both adult-use and medical marijuana.

Delivery and Transportation

Delivery Service – Delivers cannabis from cannabis establishments to consumers, qualifying patients and caregivers, as applicable.
Transporter – Delivers cannabis between cannabis establishments, laboratories, and research programs.

Laboratories

Cannabis Testing Laboratory – A laboratory authorized to engage in testing and analyzing cannabis.

Infused Beverages

THC-infused beverages are non-alcoholic drinks that containing THC. This might be displayed as "hemp-derived," Delta-8, Delta-9, Delta-10, or THCA.

Infused Beverage Manufacturer - A person who manufactures infused beverages to be sold or offered or sale in this state.
Infused Beverage Sales - Infused beverages can only be sold by licensed dispensary facilities, hybrid retailers, or retailers, or a package store permittee with an endorsement to sell THC-infused beverages.

Individual Licenses and Registrations

Backer – Has a direct or indirect financial interest in a cannabis establishment, and owns 5% or more of a cannabis establishment, in the aggregate with their spouse, parent or child, or participates directly or indirectly in the control, management or operation of the cannabis establishment.
Key employee – Employees with specific managerial positions or an equivalent title within a cannabis establishment
Employee – Any person employed by a cannabis establishment or who otherwise has access to such establishment , and board members of a company with an ownership interest in a cannabis establishment.

Labor Organization Approval

Bona Fide Labor Organizations – Any provisional cannabis establishment licensee shall, as a condition of its final license approval enter into a labor peace agreement with a bona fide labor organization.

Technical Assistance

The Department of Consumer Protection has been assisting the Social Equity Council in conducting technical assistance webinars to support potential applicants in the licensing process. Recordings of the technical assistance webinars can be viewed on the Social Equity Council's YouTube page.