O F F I C E O F L E G I S L A T I V E R E S E A R C H
P U B L I C A C T S U M M A R Y
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PA 23-166—sHB 6700
General Law Committee
AN ACT CONCERNING HE MP, THE ADULT-USE CANNABIS MARKET
AND WEATHER DISASTER RELIEF
SUMMARY: This act allows for sales of manufacturer hemp products (intended
for human consumption) by licensed medical marijuana dispensary facilities,
cannabis retailers, and hybrid retailers (i.e., selling recreational cannabis and
medical marijuana).
The act also eliminates the requirement that each dispensary facility annually
give the Department of Consumer Protection (DCP) data on the types, mixtures,
and dosages of medical marijuana the facility dispenses.
PA 22-118, § 314, provided grants of up to $7 million for farmland restoration
and climate resiliency. This act also allows these grants to be used for weather
disaster relief.
PA 23-79, among other things, (1) adds additional cannabis labeling and
packaging requirements and prohibits packages from being similar to products that
do not contain cannabis (§ 41) and (2) prohibits manufacturer hemp products
containing synthetic cannabinoids from being offered for sale; allows the DCP
commissioner to summarily suspend credentials for certain unauthorized sales;
requires certain warnings and disclosures on manufacturer hemp; and makes it a
Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act violation to violate certain manufacturer
hemp provisions (§ 45). This act delays the effective date for these provisions from
July 1, 2023, to October 1, 2023.
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2023, except the provisions on grants and effective
dates are effective upon passage.
Dispensary, Retailer, and Hybrid Retailer Sales
Prior law prohibited dispensary facilities, cannabis retailers, and hybrid retailers
from selling or distributing hemp or hemp products. The act narrows the prohibition
to only apply to producer hemp products, which allows these entities to sell or
distribute manufacturer hemp products under certain conditions.
Under the act, manufacturer hemp products may be sold within a licensed
dispensary facility, retailer, or hybrid retailer if the products are:
1. physically separated from the medical marijuana or cannabis in the display
area;
2. displayed with a DCP-approved sign;
3. tested by a laboratory, which may be outside Connecticut, that meets the
standards for accreditation and testing, and sampling methods, as required
for an independent testing laboratory;
4. clearly labeled to distinguish them as a manufacturer hemp product that is O L R P U B L I C A C T S U M M A R Y
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not cannabis or medical marijuana and is subject to different testing
standards than cannabis or medical marijuana; and
5. sold in accordance with the medical marijuana and cannabis laws and
regulations.
BACKGROUND
Manufacturer Hemp Product
By law, “manufacturer hemp product” is a commodity manufactured from the
hemp plant, for commercial or research purposes, that is intended for human
ingestion, inhalation, absorption, or other internal consumption, and contains a
delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) concentration of up to 0.3% on a dry weight
basis or per volume or weight of the manufacturer hemp product (CGS § 22-61l
(30)).
Producer Hemp Product
By law, a “producer hemp product” is any of the following produced in the
state: raw hemp products, fiber-based hemp products, or animal hemp food
products, each containing a THC concentration of less than 0.3% on a dry weight
basis or per volume or weight of the product (CGS § 22-61l (32)).