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General Assembly Substitute Bill No. 6855
January Session, 2025
AN ACT CONCERNING THE DEPARTMENT OF CONSUMER
PROTECTION'S RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING DRUG
CONTROL AND CANNABIS, HEMP AND INFUSED BEVERAGE
REGULATION.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. (NEW) (Effective October 1, 2025) (a) For the purposes of this 1
section: 2
(1) "Cannabis establishment" has the same meaning as provided in 3
section 21a-420 of the general statutes, as amended by this act; 4
(2) "Container" (A) means an object that is offered, intended for sale 5
or sold to a consumer and directly contains hemp flower, and (B) does 6
not include an object or packaging that indirectly contains, or contains 7
in bulk for transportation purposes, hemp flower; 8
(3) "Hemp flower" has the same meaning as provided in section 21a-9
426 of the general statutes, as amended by this act; 10
(4) "Moderate-THC hemp product vendor" has the same meaning as 11
provided in section 21a-426 of the general statutes, as amended by this 12
act; and 13
(5) "Person" has the same meaning as provided in section 21a-420 of 14 Substitute Bill No. 6855
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the general statutes, as amended by this act. 15
(b) (1) Any person who is not a moderate-THC hemp product vendor 16
or a licensed cannabis establishment may sell hemp flower, provided 17
such person exclusively sells hemp flower through (A) a direct, in-18
person exchange on commercial premises that (i) requires such person's 19
assistance, or the assistance of such person's agent or employee, to 20
access hemp flower, and (ii) maintains all hemp flower (I) behind a sales 21
counter that is inaccessible to consumers, or (II) in a locked container, or 22
(B) delivery, including, but not limited to, delivery made by way of a 23
transaction conducted on an Internet web site or by mail order. 24
(2) Any person who sells any hemp flower pursuant to subdivision 25
(1) of this subsection shall ensure that the age of the individual who 26
purchases and receives such hemp flower is verified, prior to purchase 27
and delivery, with a valid government-issued driver's license or identity 28
card to establish that such individual is twenty-one years of age or older. 29
Sec. 2. Section 20-627 of the general statutes is repealed and the 30
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective January 1, 2026): 31
(a) As used in sections 20-627 to 20-630, inclusive, as amended by this 32
act, "nonresident pharmacy" means any pharmacy located outside this 33
state that ships, mails or delivers, in any manner, legend devices or 34
legend drugs into this state pursuant to a prescription order. 35
(b) A nonresident pharmacy shall be registered with the department, 36
upon approval of the commission, and shall: 37
(1) Disclose annually in a report to the commission the location, 38
names and titles of all principal corporate officers, if applicable, and all 39
pharmacists who are dispensing drugs or devices to residents of this 40
state; 41
(2) [A nonresident pharmacy shall file] File a report within ten days 42
after any change of name, ownership, management, officers or directors. 43
Such report shall be accompanied by the filing fee set forth in section 20-44 Substitute Bill No. 6855
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601. Any nonresident pharmacy that fails to give notice as required 45
pursuant to this subdivision within ten days after the change shall pay 46
the late fee set forth in section 20-601; 47
(3) Comply with all lawful directions and requests for information 48
from the regulatory or licensing agency of the state in which it is licensed 49
as well as comply with all requests for information made by the 50
commission or department pursuant to this section; 51
(4) Disclose to the department whether the nonresident pharmacy is 52
dispensing sterile pharmaceuticals, as defined in section 20-633b, as 53
amended by this act, within this state. If any such dispensed sterile 54
pharmaceutical is not patient-specific, the nonresident pharmacy shall 55
submit a copy of the manufacturing license or registration issued by the 56
regulatory or licensing agency of the state in which it is licensed, and a 57
copy of any registration issued by the federal Food and Drug 58
Administration to the department; 59
(5) Maintain at all times, a valid unexpired license, permit or 60
registration to conduct such pharmacy in compliance with the laws of 61
the state in which the nonresident pharmacy is located; 62
(6) Before receiving a certificate of registration from the department, 63
submit a copy of the most recent inspection report resulting from an 64
inspection conducted by the regulatory or licensing agency of the state 65
in which the nonresident pharmacy is located. If the nonresident 66
pharmacy is delivering sterile compounded products within this state, 67
such inspection report shall include a section based on standards 68
required in the most recent United States Pharmacopeia, Chapter 797, 69
as amended from time to time. If the state in which the nonresident 70
pharmacy is located does not conduct inspections based on standards 71
required in the most recent United States Pharmacopeia, Chapter 797, 72
as amended from time to time, such nonresident pharmacy shall 73
provide proof to the department that it is in compliance with such 74
standards; 75
(7) [A nonresident pharmacy shall provide] Provide a toll-free 76 Substitute Bill No. 6855
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telephone number to facilitate communication between patients in this 77
state and a pharmacist at such nonresident pharmacy who has access to 78
the patient's records at all times. Such toll-free telephone number shall 79
be disclosed on a label affixed to each container of drugs dispensed to 80
patients in this state; 81
(8) Notify the department if the nonresident pharmacy has had any 82
disciplinary action or written advisement or warning by any federal or 83
state regulatory agency or any accreditation body not later than ten 84
business days after being notified of such action, advisement or 85
warning; and 86
(9) Provide to the department the names and addresses of all 87
residents of this state to whom legend devices or legend drugs have 88
been delivered, not later than twenty-four hours after the nonresident 89
pharmacy initiates a recall of any legend devices or legend drugs. 90
(c) If a nonresident pharmacy that is registered with the department 91
under this section sells, delivers or offers sterile compounded products 92
in this state, such nonresident pharmacy shall submit to the department 93
inspection reports, as provided in section 20-633b, as amended by this 94
act, from a government agency or third-party entity with expertise in 95
sterile compounding evidencing that such nonresident pharmacy's 96
program, processes and facilities comply with the standards required in 97
the most recent United States Pharmacopeia, Chapter 797, as amended 98
from time to time. 99
Sec. 3. Subsection (j) of section 20-633b of the general statutes is 100
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective January 101
1, 2026): 102
(j) Notwithstanding the provisions of subdivision (2) of subsection (b) 103
of this section, a sterile compounding pharmacy that is a nonresident 104
pharmacy shall [provide] submit to the Department of Consumer 105
Protection [proof that such nonresident pharmacy has passed an 106
inspection in such nonresident pharmacy's home state, based on the 107
USP chapters] an inspection report from a government agency with 108 Substitute Bill No. 6855
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regulatory oversight over such nonresident pharmacy or from a third-109
party entity with expertise in sterile compounding. Such report shall 110
demonstrate that such nonresident pharmacy is in compliance with the 111
standards required in the most recent United States Pharmacopeia, 112
Chapter 797, as amended from time to time. Such nonresident pharmacy 113
shall submit to the [Department of Consumer Protection] department a 114
copy of the most recent inspection report with such nonresident 115
pharmacy's initial nonresident pharmacy application, [and] which 116
inspection report shall be dated by the inspector and evidence that the 117
inspection was performed during the six-month period immediately 118
preceding the submission date of such initial application. Not later than 119
June thirtieth of each even-numbered calendar year following such 120
initial application, such nonresident pharmacy shall submit to the 121
department a [copy of such nonresident pharmacy's most recent] new 122
inspection report [every two years thereafter. If the state in which such 123
nonresident pharmacy is located does not conduct inspections based on 124
standards required in the USP chapters, such nonresident pharmacy 125
shall provide satisfactory proof to the department that such nonresident 126
pharmacy is in compliance with the standards required in the USP 127
chapters] demonstrating that such nonresident pharmacy remains in 128
compliance with the standards required in the most recent United States 129
Pharmacopeia, Chapter 797, as amended from time to time, which 130
inspection report shall be dated by the inspector and indicate that the 131
inspection was performed not earlier than January first of such even-132
numbered calendar year. Notwithstanding the provisions of this 133
subsection, a sterile compounding pharmacy that is a nonresident 134
pharmacy shall not be required to submit more than one inspection 135
report during any calendar year after the nonresident pharmacy is 136
issued an initial registration. 137
Sec. 4. Section 21a-243 of the general statutes is repealed and the 138
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage): 139
(a) The Commissioner of Consumer Protection shall adopt 140
regulations for the efficient enforcement and operation of sections 21a-141
244 to 21a-282, inclusive. 142 Substitute Bill No. 6855
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(b) The Commissioner of Consumer Protection may, so far as may be 143
consistent with sections 21a-244 to 21a-282, inclusive, adopt the 144
regulations existing under the federal Controlled Substances Act and 145
pertinent regulations existing under the federal food and drug laws and 146
conform regulations adopted hereunder with those existing under the 147
federal Controlled Substances Act and federal food and drug laws. 148
(c) The Commissioner of Consumer Protection, acting upon the 149
advice of the Commission of Pharmacy, may by regulation designate, 150
after investigation, as a controlled substance, a substance or chemical 151
composition containing any quantity of a substance which has been 152
found to have a stimulant, depressant or hallucinogenic effect upon the 153
higher functions of the central nervous system and having a tendency 154
to promote abuse or physiological or psychological dependence or both. 155
Such substances are classifiable as amphetamine-type, barbiturate-type, 156
cannabis-type, cocaine-type, hallucinogenic, morphine-type and other 157
stimulant and depressant substances, and specifically exclude alcohol, 158
caffeine and nicotine. Substances which are designated as controlled 159
substances shall be classified in schedules I to V by regulations adopted 160
pursuant to subsection (a) of this section. 161
(d) The Commissioner of Consumer Protection may by regulation 162
change the schedule in which a substance classified as a controlled 163
substance in schedules I to V of the controlled substance scheduling 164
regulations is placed. On or before December 15, 1986, and annually 165
thereafter, the commissioner shall submit a list of all such schedule 166
changes to the chairmen and ranking members of the joint standing 167
committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters 168
relating to public health. 169
(e) [Notwithstanding the provisions of subsections (a) to (d), 170
inclusive, of this section, not later than January 1, 2013, the 171
Commissioner of Consumer Protection shall submit amendments to 172
sections 21a-243-7 and 21a-243-8 of the regulations of Connecticut state 173
agencies to the standing legislative regulation review committee to 174
reclassify] The Commissioner of Consumer Protection shall classify 175 Substitute Bill No. 6855
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marijuana as a controlled substance in schedule II under the Connecticut 176
controlled substance scheduling regulations, except that for any 177
marijuana product that has been approved by the federal Food and 178
Drug Administration or successor agency to have a medical use and that 179
is reclassified in any schedule of controlled substances or unscheduled 180
by the federal Drug Enforcement Administration or successor agency, 181
the commissioner shall adopt the schedule designated by the Drug 182
Enforcement Administration or successor agency. In the event that 183
marijuana is reclassified as a controlled substance in schedule III, IV or 184
V of the federal Controlled Substances Act, or is unscheduled by the 185
federal Drug Enforcement Administration or successor agency, the 186
commissioner shall adopt the schedule designated by the federal Drug 187
Enforcement Administration or successor agency. 188
(f) A new or amended regulation under this chapter shall be adopted 189
in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54. 190
(g) In the event of any inconsistency between the contents of 191
schedules I, II, III, IV and V of the controlled substance scheduling 192
regulations and schedules I, II, III, IV and V of the federal Controlled 193
Substances Act, as amended, the provisions of the federal act shall 194
prevail, except (1) when the provisions of the Connecticut controlled 195
substance scheduling regulations place a controlled substance in a 196
schedule with a higher numerical designation, schedule I being the 197
highest designation, or (2) as provided in subsection (e) of this section. 198
(h) When a drug that is not a controlled substance in schedule I, II, 199
III, IV or V, as designated in the Connecticut controlled substance 200
scheduling regulations, is designated to be a controlled substance under 201
the federal Controlled Substances Act, such drug shall be considered to 202
be controlled at the state level in the same numerical schedule from the 203
effective date of the federal classification. Nothing in this section shall 204
prevent the Commissioner of Consumer Protection from designating a 205
controlled substance differently in the Connecticut controlled substance 206
scheduling regulations than such controlled substance is designated in 207
the federal Controlled Substances Act, as amended from time to time. 208 Substitute Bill No. 6855
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(i) (1) The Commissioner of Consumer Protection shall, by regulation 209
adopted pursuant to this section, designate the following substances, by 210
whatever official, common, usual, chemical or trade name designation, 211
as controlled substances and classify each such substance in the 212
appropriate schedule: 213
[(1)] (A) 1-pentyl-3-(1-naphthoyl)indole (JWH-018); 214
[(2)] (B) 1-butyl-3-(1-naphthoyl)indole (JWH-073); 215
[(3)] (C) 1-[2-(4-morpholinyl)ethyl]-3-(1-naphthoyl)indole (JWH-216
200); 217
[(4)] (D) 5-(1,1-dimethylheptyl)-2-[(1R,3S)-3-hydroxycyclohexyl]-218
phenol (CP-47,497); 219
[(5)] (E) 5-(1,1-dimethyloctyl)-2-[(1R,3S)-3-hydroxycyclohexyl]-220
phenol (cannabicyclohexanol; CP-47,497 C8 homologue); 221
[(6)] (F) Salvia divinorum; and 222
[(7)] (G) Salvinorum A. 223
(2) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (c) of this section, 224
the commissioner shall, in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54, 225
amend the regulations adopted pursuant to subdivision (1) of this 226
subsection to designate the following substances, by whatever official, 227
common, usual, chemical or trade name designation, as controlled 228
substances and classify each such substance in the appropriate schedule: 229
(A) 7-hydroxymitragynine; 230
(B) Bromazolam; 231
(C) Flubromazolam; 232
(D) Mitragyna speciosa (kratom), including its leaves, stem and any 233
extracts; 234 Substitute Bill No. 6855
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(E) Nitazenes, including, but not limited to, isotonitazene; 235
(F) Tianeptine; and 236
(G) Phenibut. 237
(j) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (c) of this section, 238
the Commissioner of Consumer Protection shall designate the following 239
substances, by whatever official, common, usual, chemical or trade 240
name designation, as controlled substances in schedule I of the 241
controlled substances scheduling regulations: 242
(1) Mephedrone (4-methylmethcathinone); 243
(2) Synthetic cannabinoids; and 244
(3) MDPV (3,4-methyenedioxypyrovalerone). 245
Sec. 5. Section 21a-408c of the general statutes is repealed and the 246
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective January 1, 2026): 247
(a) (1) A physician, physician assistant or advanced practice 248
registered nurse may issue a written certification to a qualifying patient 249
that authorizes the palliative use of marijuana by the qualifying patient. 250
Such written certification shall be in the form prescribed by the 251
Department of Consumer Protection and shall include a statement 252
signed and dated by the qualifying patient's physician, physician 253
assistant or advanced practice registered nurse stating that, in such 254
physician's, physician assistant's or advanced practice registered nurse's 255
professional opinion, (A) the qualifying patient has a debilitating 256
medical condition, and (B) the potential benefits of the palliative use of 257
marijuana would likely outweigh the health risks of such use to the 258
qualifying patient. 259
[(b) Any] (2) Except as provided in subdivision (6) of this subsection, 260
any written certification [for the palliative use of marijuana] issued by a 261
physician, physician assistant or advanced practice registered nurse 262
[under subsection (a) of this section] pursuant to subdivision (1) of this 263 Substitute Bill No. 6855
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subsection shall be valid for a period not to exceed one of the following 264
durations, as determined by the physician, physician assistant or 265
advanced practice registered nurse and beginning on the date on which 266
such written certification is signed and dated by the physician, 267
physician assistant or advanced practice registered nurse: (A) Six 268
months; (B) one year; [from the date such written certification is signed 269
and dated by the physician, physician assistant or advanced practice 270
registered nurse. Not] (C) eighteen months; or (D) two years. 271
(3) Except as provided in subdivision (6) of this subsection, not later 272
than ten calendar days after the expiration of [such] the period 273
determined by the physician, physician assistant or advanced practice 274
registered nurse under subdivision (2) of this subsection, or at any time 275
before the expiration of such period should the qualifying patient no 276
longer wish to possess marijuana for palliative use, the qualifying 277
patient or the caregiver shall destroy all usable marijuana possessed by 278
the qualifying patient and the caregiver for palliative use. 279
[(c)] (4) A physician, physician assistant or advanced practice 280
registered nurse shall not be subject to arrest or prosecution, penalized 281
in any manner, including, but not limited to, being subject to any civil 282
penalty, or denied any right or privilege, including, but not limited to, 283
being subject to any disciplinary action by the Connecticut Medical 284
Examining Board, the Connecticut State Board of Examiners for Nursing 285
or other professional licensing board, for providing a written 286
certification [for the palliative use of marijuana] under subdivision (1) 287
of subsection (a) of section 21a-408a if: 288
[(1)] (A) The physician, physician assistant or advanced practice 289
registered nurse has diagnosed the qualifying patient as having a 290
debilitating medical condition; 291
[(2)] (B) The physician, physician assistant or advanced practice 292
registered nurse has explained the potential risks and benefits of the 293
palliative use of marijuana to the qualifying patient and, if the 294
qualifying patient lacks legal capacity, to a parent, guardian or person 295 Substitute Bill No. 6855
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having legal custody of the qualifying patient, to the qualifying patient's 296
caregiver or to a person legally authorized to make medical decisions 297
on behalf of the qualifying patient; 298
[(3)] (C) The written certification issued by the physician, physician 299
assistant or advanced practice registered nurse is based upon the 300
physician's, physician assistant's or advanced practice registered nurse's 301
professional opinion after having completed a medically reasonable 302
assessment of the qualifying patient's medical history and current 303
medical condition made in the course of a bona fide health care 304
professional-patient relationship; and 305
[(4)] (D) The physician, physician assistant or advanced practice 306
registered nurse has no financial interest in a cannabis establishment, 307
except for retailers and delivery services, as such terms are defined in 308
section 21a-420, as amended by this act. 309
[(d)] (5) A physician assistant or nurse shall not be subject to arrest or 310
prosecution, penalized in any manner, including, but not limited to, 311
being subject to any civil penalty, or denied any right or privilege, 312
including, but not limited to, being subject to any disciplinary action by 313
the Connecticut Medical Examining Board, Board of Examiners for 314
Nursing or other professional licensing board, for administering 315
marijuana to a qualifying patient or research program subject in a 316
hospital or health care facility licensed by the Department of Public 317
Health. 318
(6) A licensed dispensary, acting in the course of the licensed 319
dispensary's employment on the premises of the dispensary facility or 320
hybrid retailer that employs such licensed dispensary, may grant a 321
temporary extension of a written certification issued by a physician, 322
physician assistant or advanced practice registered nurse pursuant to 323
subdivision (1) of this subsection for a period not to exceed ninety 324
consecutive days following expiration of such written certification. 325
(b) (1) A licensed dispensary may issue a temporary written 326
certification to an individual that authorizes the individual to engage in 327 Substitute Bill No. 6855
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the palliative use of marijuana as a qualifying patient for a period not to 328
exceed ninety consecutive days, provided such licensed dispensary has: 329
(A) Reasonably determined, after reviewing such individual's 330
medical history, that such individual is at least eighteen years of age and 331
has a debilitating medical condition; 332
(B) Conducted an in-person assessment of such individual at the 333
dispensary facility or on the premises of the hybrid retailer that employs 334
the licensed dispensary; and 335
(C) Reviewed the electronic prescription drug monitoring program 336
established pursuant to section 21a-254 and verified that no other 337
licensed dispensary had prescribed or dispensed marijuana to such 338
individual during the one-year period immediately preceding the date 339
of such review. 340
(2) Each temporary written certification issued pursuant to 341
subdivision (1) of this subsection shall be in a form prescribed by the 342
Department of Consumer Protection and shall include a statement 343
signed and dated by the licensed dispensary stating that, in such 344
licensed dispensary's professional opinion, (A) the individual has 345
provided sufficient proof that such individual has a debilitating medical 346
condition, and (B) the potential benefits the individual would derive 347
from the palliative use of marijuana likely outweigh the health risks that 348
such use would pose to such individual. 349
(3) A licensed dispensary that issues a temporary written certification 350
pursuant to subdivision (1) of this subsection, or the dispensary facility 351
or hybrid retailer that employs such licensed dispensary, may impose a 352
fee for such temporary written certification, which fee shall not exceed 353
twenty-five dollars. Such licensed dispensary, dispensary facility or 354
hybrid retailer shall not impose any other fee in connection with such 355
temporary written certification. 356
(4) A licensed dispensary that issues a temporary written certification 357
pursuant to subdivision (1) of this subsection shall maintain all patient 358 Substitute Bill No. 6855
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assessment and eligibility documentation concerning such temporary 359
written certification for a period of at least three years beginning on the 360
date on which the licensed dispensary issued such temporary written 361
certification. Such documentation shall be organized and maintained 362
(A) in hard copy at the dispensary facility or hybrid retailer premises at 363
which the licensed dispensary conducted an in-person assessment of the 364
patient, or (B) electronically in a system readily accessible by the 365
licensed dispensary. 366
(5) A licensed dispensary that issues a temporary written certification 367
pursuant to subdivision (1) of this subsection shall ensure that all patient 368
assessment and eligibility documentation maintained pursuant to 369
subdivision (4) of this subsection is made readily available to the 370
department, and shall submit any such documentation to the 371
department, in a form and manner prescribed by the department, not 372
later than forty-eight hours after the department requests such 373
documentation. 374
(6) A licensed dispensary shall not be subject to arrest or prosecution, 375
penalized in any manner, including, but not limited to, being subject to 376
any civil penalty, or denied any right or privilege, including, but not 377
limited to, being subject to any disciplinary action by the Commission 378
of Pharmacy or any other professional licensing board, for providing a 379
temporary written certification pursuant to subdivision (1) of this 380
subsection if: 381
(A) The licensed dispensary has reasonably determined, after 382
reviewing the individual's medical history, that the individual is 383
eighteen years of age or older and has a debilitating medical condition; 384
and 385
(B) The licensed dispensary has explained the potential risks and 386
benefits of the palliative use of marijuana to the individual and, if the 387
individual lacks legal capacity, to a parent, guardian or person having 388
legal custody of the individual or to a person legally authorized to make 389
medical decisions on behalf of the individual. 390 Substitute Bill No. 6855
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[(e)] (c) Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, sections 21a-391
408 to 21a-408b, inclusive, and sections 21a-408d to 21a-408o, inclusive, 392
a physician assistant or an advanced practice registered nurse shall not 393
issue a written certification to a qualifying patient, and a licensed 394
dispensary shall not issue a temporary written certification to an 395
individual, when the qualifying patient's or individual's debilitating 396
medical condition is glaucoma. 397
[(f)] (d) Notwithstanding any provision of the general statutes or any 398
regulation of Connecticut state agencies concerning the certification of 399
qualifying patients through telehealth services, a physician, physician 400
assistant or advanced practice registered nurse may issue a written 401
certification to a qualifying patient and provide any follow-up care 402
utilizing telehealth services, provided all other requirements for issuing 403
such written certification to the qualifying patient, including, but not 404
limited to, all recordkeeping requirements, are satisfied. 405
Sec. 6. Subdivision (1) of section 21a-420 of the general statutes is 406
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 407
2025): 408
(1) "Responsible and Equitable Regulation of Adult-Use Cannabis 409
Act" or "RERACA" means this section, sections 2-56j, 7-294kk, 7-294ll, 410
12-330ll to 12-330nn, inclusive, 14-227p, 21a-278b, 21a-278c, 21a-279c, 411
21a-279d, 21a-420a to 21a-420j, inclusive, as amended by this act, 21a-412
420l to 21a-421r, inclusive, 21a-421aa to 21a-421ff, inclusive, 21a-421aaa 413
to 21a-421hhh, inclusive, 21a-422 to 21a-422c, inclusive, 21a-422e to 21a-414
422g, inclusive, 21a-422j to 21a-422s, inclusive, 22-61n, 23-4b, 47a-9a, 53-415
247a, 53a-213a, 53a-213b, 54-33p, 54-56q, 54-56r, 54-125k and 54-142u, 416
sections 23, 60, 63 to 65, inclusive, 124, 144 and 165 of public act 21-1 of 417
the June special session, and the amendments in public act 21-1 of the 418
June special session to sections 7-148, 10-221, 12-30a, 12-35b, 12-412, 12-419
650, 12-704d, 14-44k, 14-111e, 14-227a to 14-227c, inclusive, 14-227j, 15-420
140q, 15-140r, 18-100h, 19a-342, 19a-342a, 21a-267, 21a-277, 21a-279, 21a-421
279a, 21a-408 to 21a-408f, inclusive, 21a-408h to 21a-408p, inclusive, 21a-422
408r to 21a-408w, inclusive, 21a-420aa, 21a-421s, 30-89a, 31-40q, 32-39, 423 Substitute Bill No. 6855
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46b-120, 51-164n, 53-394, 53a-39c, 54-1m, 54-33g, 54-41b, 54-56e, 54-56g, 424
54-56i, 54-56k, 54-56n, 54-63d, 54-66a and 54-142e, [section 20 of public 425
act 23-79] sections 8 to 10, inclusive, of this act and section 22 of this act; 426
Sec. 7. Subdivision (2) of section 21a-420 of the general statutes is 427
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from 428
passage): 429
(2) "Backer" means any individual with a direct or indirect financial 430
interest in a cannabis establishment. "Backer" does not include (A) a 431
bank, bank and trust company, bank holding company, Connecticut 432
bank, Connecticut credit union, federal bank, federal branch, federal 433
credit union, financial institution, foreign bank, holding company, out-434
of-state bank, out-of-state credit union, out-of-state trust company, 435
savings and loan association, savings bank or savings and loan holding 436
company, as such terms are defined in section 36a-2, or a wholly-owned 437
subsidiary thereof, that provides nonequity financing to a cannabis 438
establishment and does not directly participate in the control, 439
management or operation of the cannabis establishment, or (B) an 440
individual with an investment interest in a cannabis establishment if 441
[(A)] (i) the interest held by such individual and such individual's 442
spouse, parent or child, in the aggregate, does not exceed five per cent 443
of the total ownership or interest rights in such cannabis establishment, 444
and [(B)] (ii) such individual does not participate directly or indirectly 445
in the control, management or operation of the cannabis establishment; 446
Sec. 8. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2025) (a) As used in this section: 447
(1) "Court appointee" (A) means a person appointed or designated as 448
part of a court supervised proceeding to exercise court oversight with 449
respect to the property, assets, management or operations of a cannabis 450
establishment, and (B) includes, but is not limited to, a receiver, 451
custodian, guardian or trustee or the executor or administrator of an 452
estate; and 453
(2) "Court supervised proceeding" means a proceeding in which a 454
court of competent jurisdiction appoints or designates a court appointee 455 Substitute Bill No. 6855
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to exercise court oversight with respect to the property, assets, 456
management or operations of a cannabis establishment. 457
(b) (1) The Department of Consumer Protection may, upon receipt of 458
a complete application and payment of the fee required under 459
subsection (c) of this section, issue a temporary cannabis operator 460
license to a court appointee to operate a cannabis establishment for a 461
period (A) not to exceed sixty days, or (B) longer than sixty days, 462
provided the Commissioner of Consumer Protection, in the 463
commissioner's sole discretion, deems such longer period reasonably 464
necessary to allow for the orderly disposition of (i) the cannabis 465
establishment in the court supervised proceeding, or (ii) any 466
delinquencies or deficiencies identified by the court. 467
(2) The department may recommend that a person be appointed or 468
designated as the court appointee as part of any court supervised 469
proceeding before any court of competent jurisdiction in this state. 470
(3) Each court appointee who is licensed as a temporary cannabis 471
operator under this section shall comply with all applicable provisions 472
of the general statutes and all applicable regulations, policies and 473
procedures adopted or promulgated thereunder. 474
(c) (1) A court appointee shall submit to the department, in a form 475
and manner prescribed by the commissioner, an application for a 476
temporary cannabis operator license. Such application shall include, but 477
need not be limited to: 478
(A) The contact information for such court appointee; 479
(B) Proof that such court appointee has been appointed or designated 480
to exercise court oversight with respect to the property, assets, 481
management or operations of the relevant cannabis establishment; 482
(C) The requested duration of the temporary cannabis operator 483
license; and 484
(D) A summary of the circumstances necessitating such application. 485 Substitute Bill No. 6855
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(2) Notwithstanding any provision of the general statutes, no court 486
appointee who applies for a temporary cannabis operator license 487
pursuant to subdivision (1) of this subsection shall be required to submit 488
to or pass a criminal history records check or financial history check. 489
(3) Each application submitted to the department pursuant to 490
subdivision (1) of this subsection shall be accompanied by a 491
nonrefundable application fee in the amount of five hundred dollars. 492
All application fees collected by the department under this subdivision 493
shall be paid to the State Treasurer and credited to the General Fund. 494
(d) A court appointee may submit to the department, in a form and 495
manner prescribed by the commissioner, a request to extend the term of 496
a temporary cannabis operator license issued pursuant to this section. 497
The department may grant an extension request submitted pursuant to 498
this subsection if the commissioner determines, in the commissioner's 499
discretion, that such extension is reasonably necessary to allow for 500
resolution of the court supervised proceeding. If such an extension is 501
granted, it shall be so granted in a form and manner prescribed by the 502
commissioner. 503
(e) The commissioner may refuse to issue or extend, or may revoke, 504
a temporary cannabis operator license issued pursuant to this section: 505
(1) If the court appointee does not propose to begin operating the 506
cannabis establishment immediately upon issuance of the temporary 507
cannabis operator license, or does not begin operating the cannabis 508
establishment immediately upon issuance of such license, unless the 509
commissioner, in the commissioner's discretion and in writing, waives 510
such requirement and extends the period during which the court 511
appointee shall begin operating such cannabis establishment; 512
(2) For sufficient cause, as set forth in subsection (b) of section 21a-513
421p of the general statutes; 514
(3) If the court appointee operates the cannabis establishment in 515
violation of any applicable provision of the general statutes or any 516 Substitute Bill No. 6855
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regulation, policy or procedure adopted or promulgated thereunder; or 517
(4) If the term of such temporary cannabis operator license has 518
expired. 519
Sec. 9. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2025) (a) The Department of Consumer 520
Protection shall develop standardized signage which shall include a 521
quick response code or comparable electronic identifier that will enable 522
any person using such code or identifier to determine whether the 523
cannabis establishment displaying such signage holds an active 524
cannabis establishment license issued by the department. 525
(b) Each cannabis establishment shall display the standardized 526
signage developed by the department pursuant to subsection (a) of this 527
section in a form and manner prescribed by the department. No 528
cannabis establishment shall display such signage in any other form or 529
manner. 530
(c) No person or establishment other than a cannabis establishment 531
shall display the standardized signage developed by the department 532
pursuant to subsection (a) of this section, or any substantially similar 533
signage, that incorrectly indicates that such person or establishment 534
holds an active cannabis establishment license issued by the 535
department. 536
(d) A violation of subsection (b) or (c) of this section shall be deemed 537
an unfair or deceptive trade practice under subsection (a) of section 42-538
110b of the general statutes. A cannabis establishment that violates the 539
provisions of subsection (b) of this section shall be subject to additional 540
enforcement action pursuant to section 21a-421p of the general statutes. 541
Sec. 10. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2025) (a) If a cannabis establishment 542
elects not to renew its cannabis establishment license, the cannabis 543
establishment shall submit a nonrenewal notice to the Department of 544
Consumer Protection, in a form and manner prescribed by the 545
Commissioner of Consumer Protection, for the purpose of coordinating 546
efforts to dispose of any cannabis that may be in the possession of such 547 Substitute Bill No. 6855
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cannabis establishment upon expiration of such license. The cannabis 548
establishment shall submit such nonrenewal notice to the department 549
not more than thirty days prior to the expiration date of such license. 550
(b) No holder of a lapsed cannabis establishment license shall (1) 551
engage in any activity for which an active cannabis establishment 552
license is required, or (2) possess any cannabis on the premises of the 553
lapsed cannabis establishment. 554
(c) (1) If the Department of Consumer Protection does not receive a 555
complete license renewal application from a cannabis establishment on 556
or before the expiration date of the cannabis establishment's license, the 557
department may accept a license reinstatement application from the 558
lapsed cannabis establishment during the ninety-day period following 559
such expiration date. If the department accepts a reinstatement 560
application during such ninety-day period, the applicant shall (A) pay 561
to the department (i) the current year's license renewal fee, and (ii) a late 562
fee equal to ten per cent of such license renewal fee, and (B) submit to 563
the department, in a form and manner prescribed by the Commissioner 564
of Consumer Protection, a statement signed by the applicant attesting 565
that the applicant did not engage in any activity in this state for which 566
an active cannabis establishment license is required while such 567
applicant's license was lapsed. 568
(2) The department may, in the department's discretion, reinstate the 569
lapsed cannabis establishment license for an applicant that has satisfied 570
the requirements established in subdivision (1) of this subsection. If the 571
reinstated cannabis establishment license was issued to a social equity 572
applicant, the period during which such license was lapsed shall not be 573
counted toward the time the applicant was licensed for the purposes of 574
the ownership and control requirements established in sections 21a-575
420h of the general statutes, 21a-420j of the general statutes, as amended 576
by this act, 21a-420m of the general statutes, as amended by this act, and 577
21a-420u of the general statutes, as amended by this act. 578
Sec. 11. Subsection (k) of section 21a-420g of the general statutes is 579 Substitute Bill No. 6855
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repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 580
2025): 581
(k) Final license applications shall be submitted on a form and in a 582
manner approved by the commissioner and shall include, but not be 583
limited to, the information set forth in this section, as well as evidence 584
of the following: 585
(1) A contract with an entity providing an approved electronic 586
tracking system as set forth in section 21a-421n; 587
(2) A right to occupy the location at which the cannabis establishment 588
operation will be located, as evidenced by a certificate of occupancy or 589
temporary certificate of occupancy issued by, or a substantively similar 590
written approval obtained from, the local building official verifying that 591
the premises to be occupied for the cannabis establishment operation is 592
substantially complete; 593
(3) Any necessary local zoning approval for the cannabis 594
establishment operation; 595
(4) A labor peace agreement complying with section 21a-421d has 596
been entered into between the cannabis establishment and a bona fide 597
labor organization, as defined in section 21a-421d; 598
(5) A certification by the applicant that a project labor agreement 599
complying with section 21a-421e will be entered into by the cannabis 600
establishment prior to construction of any facility to be used in the 601
operation of a cannabis establishment; 602
(6) A social equity plan approved by the Social Equity Council; 603
(7) A workforce development plan approved by the Social Equity 604
Council; 605
(8) Written policies for preventing diversion and misuse of cannabis 606
and sales to underage persons; and 607 Substitute Bill No. 6855
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(9) All other security requirements pertaining to the premises, as set 608
forth by the department based on the specific license type. 609
Sec. 12. Subsection (e) of section 21a-420p of the general statutes is 610
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from 611
passage): 612
(e) A micro-cultivator may sell, transfer or transport its cannabis to a 613
[dispensary facility, hybrid retailer, retailer, delivery service, food and 614
beverage manufacturer, product manufacturer, ] cannabis 615
establishment, cannabis testing laboratory or research program, 616
[cannabis testing laboratory or product packager,] provided the 617
cannabis is cultivated, grown and propagated at the micro-cultivator's 618
licensed establishment and transported utilizing the micro-cultivator's 619
own employees or a transporter. A micro-cultivator shall not gift or 620
transfer cannabis or cannabis products at no cost to a consumer as part 621
of a commercial transaction. 622
Sec. 13. Subsection (b) of section 21a-420r of the general statutes is 623
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from 624
passage): 625
(b) A retailer may obtain cannabis from a cultivator, micro-cultivator, 626
producer, product packager, food and beverage manufacturer, product 627
manufacturer or transporter or an undeliverable return from a delivery 628
service. A retailer may sell, transport or transfer cannabis or cannabis 629
products to a [delivery service] cannabis establishment, cannabis testing 630
laboratory or research program. A retailer may sell cannabis to a 631
consumer or research program. A retailer may not conduct sales of 632
medical marijuana products nor offer discounts or other inducements to 633
qualifying patients or caregivers. A retailer shall not gift or transfer 634
cannabis at no cost to a consumer as part of a commercial transaction. 635
Sec. 14. Subsection (b) of section 21a-420s of the general statutes is 636
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from 637
passage): 638 Substitute Bill No. 6855
LCO 22 of 34
(b) A hybrid retailer may obtain cannabis from a cultivator, micro-639
cultivator, producer, product packager, food and beverage 640
manufacturer, product manufacturer or transporter. In addition to the 641
activities authorized under section 21a-420t, a hybrid retailer may sell, 642
transport or transfer cannabis to a [delivery service] cannabis 643
establishment, cannabis testing laboratory or research program. A 644
hybrid retailer may sell cannabis products to a consumer or research 645
program. A hybrid retailer shall not gift or transfer cannabis at no cost 646
to a consumer, qualifying patient or caregiver as part of a commercial 647
transaction. 648
Sec. 15. Subsections (e) and (f) of section 21a-420j of the general 649
statutes are repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof 650
(Effective January 1, 2026): 651
[(e) Equity joint ventures that are retailers or hybrid retailers that 652
share a common cultivator backer or owner shall not be located within 653
twenty miles of each other.] 654
[(f)] (e) An equity joint venture applicant shall pay fifty per cent of 655
the amount of any applicable fee specified in subsection (c) of section 656
21a-420e for the first three renewal cycles of the applicable cannabis 657
establishment license applied for, and shall pay the full amount of such 658
fee thereafter. 659
Sec. 16. Subsections (f) to (i), inclusive, of section 21a-420m of the 660
general statutes are repealed and the following is substituted in lieu 661
thereof (Effective January 1, 2026): 662
[(f) Equity joint ventures that are retailers or hybrid retailers that 663
share a common producer backer or owner shall not be located within 664
twenty miles of each other.] 665
[(g)] (f) If a producer has paid a reduced conversion fee, as described 666
in subsection (b) of section 21a-420l, and subsequently did not create 667
two equity joint ventures under this section that, not later than fourteen 668
months after the Department of Consumer Protection approved the 669 Substitute Bill No. 6855
LCO 23 of 34
producer's license expansion application under section 21a-420l, each 670
received a final license from the department, the producer shall be liable 671
for the full conversion fee of three million dollars established in section 672
21a-420l minus such paid reduced conversion fee. 673
[(h)] (g) No producer that receives license expansion authorization 674
under section 21a-420l shall create more than two equity joint ventures. 675
No such producer shall apply for, or create, any additional equity joint 676
venture if, on July 1, 2021, such producer has created at least two equity 677
joint ventures that have each received a provisional license. 678
[(i)] (h) An equity joint venture applicant shall pay fifty per cent of 679
the amount of any applicable fee specified in subsection (c) of section 680
21a-420e for the first three renewal cycles of the applicable cannabis 681
establishment license applied for, and shall pay the full amount of such 682
fee thereafter. 683
Sec. 17. Subsections (f) to (i), inclusive, of section 21a-420u of the 684
general statutes are repealed and the following is substituted in lieu 685
thereof (Effective January 1, 2026): 686
[(f) Equity joint ventures that are retailers or hybrid retailers that 687
share a common dispensary facility backer or owner, or hybrid retailer 688
backer or owner, shall not be located within twenty miles of each other.] 689
[(g)] (f) If a dispensary facility has paid the reduced conversion fee, 690
in accordance with subsection (a) of this section, and did not 691
subsequently create one equity joint venture under this section that, not 692
later than fourteen months after the Department of Consumer 693
Protection approved the dispensary facility's license conversion 694
application under section 21a-420t, receives a final license from the 695
department, the dispensary facility shall be liable for the full conversion 696
fee of one million dollars established in section 21a-420e minus such 697
paid reduced conversion fee. 698
[(h)] (g) No dispensary facility that receives approval to convert the 699
dispensary facility's license to a hybrid-retailer license under section 700 Substitute Bill No. 6855
LCO 24 of 34
21a-420t shall create more than two equity joint ventures. No such 701
dispensary facility shall apply for, or create, any additional equity joint 702
venture if, on July 1, 2021, such dispensary facility has created at least 703
two equity joint ventures that have each received a provisional license. 704
[(i)] (h) An equity joint venture applicant shall pay fifty per cent of 705
the amount of any applicable fee specified in subsection (c) of section 706
21a-420e for the first three renewal cycles of the applicable cannabis 707
establishment license applied for, and shall pay the full amount of such 708
fee thereafter. 709
Sec. 18. Section 21a-421a of the general statutes is repealed and the 710
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2025): 711
(a) Each employee of a cannabis establishment, cannabis testing 712
laboratory or research program, other than a key employee, shall 713
annually apply for and obtain a registration, on a form and in a manner 714
prescribed by the commissioner, prior to commencing employment at 715
the cannabis establishment business. 716
(b) No person shall act as a backer or key employee, or represent that 717
such person is a backer or key employee, unless such person has 718
obtained a license from the department pursuant to this subsection. 719
Such person shall apply for a license on a form and in a manner 720
prescribed by the commissioner. Such form may require the applicant 721
to: (1) [Submit] Except as provided in subsection (c) of this section, 722
submit to a state and national criminal history records check conducted 723
in accordance with section 29-17a, which may include a financial history 724
check if requested by the commissioner, to determine the character and 725
fitness of the applicant for the license, (2) provide information sufficient 726
for the department to assess whether the applicant has an ownership 727
interest in any other cannabis establishment, cannabis establishment 728
applicant or cannabis-related business nationally or internationally, (3) 729
provide demographic information, and (4) obtain such other 730
information as the department determines is consistent with the 731
requirements of RERACA or chapter 420f. A backer or key employee 732 Substitute Bill No. 6855
LCO 25 of 34
shall be denied a license in the event his or her background check reveals 733
a disqualifying conviction. 734
(c) If a person listed in subparagraph (A) of subdivision (2) of section 735
21a-420, as amended by this act, holds any security interest in a cannabis 736
establishment and appoints an authorized representative to temporarily 737
engage in the control, management or operation of the cannabis 738
establishment due to any failure to comply with the terms of the security 739
instrument that created such security interest, such authorized 740
representative shall obtain a key employee license from the department 741
pursuant to subsection (b) of this section before temporarily engaging 742
in the control, management or operation of such cannabis 743
establishment. Such authorized representative shall apply for a key 744
employee license in accordance with the provisions of subsection (b) of 745
this section, except such authorized representative shall not be required 746
to submit to a state and national criminal history records check 747
conducted in accordance with section 29-17a. The provisions of this 748
subsection shall not apply to an authorized representative who is a court 749
appointee, as defined in section 8 of this act. 750
[(c)] (d) Except as provided in subsection [(d)] (e) of this section, any 751
person who receives a cannabis establishment license, backer or key 752
employee license or employee registration issued pursuant to 753
subsection (a) of this section shall notify the department, in writing, of 754
any changes to the information supplied on the application for such 755
license or registration not later than five business days after such 756
change. 757
[(d)] (e) Any person who receives a cannabis establishment license or 758
backer or key employee license shall notify the department, in a manner 759
prescribed by the department, of any arrest or conviction of such person 760
for an offense that would constitute a disqualifying conviction, as 761
defined in section 21a-420, as amended by this act, not later than forty-762
eight hours after such arrest or conviction. 763
[(e)] (f) The department may adopt regulations in accordance with 764 Substitute Bill No. 6855
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the provisions of chapter 54 to implement the provisions of this section, 765
or may adopt policies and procedures as set forth in section 21a-421j, 766
prior to adopting such final regulations. 767
Sec. 19. Subsection (a) of section 21a-421ccc of the general statutes is 768
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from 769
passage): 770
(a) No person having possession of, or exercising dominion and 771
control over, any dwelling unit or private property shall: (1) Knowingly 772
or recklessly permit any person under twenty-one years of age to 773
possess cannabis in violation of section [21-279a] 21a-279a, in such 774
dwelling unit or on such private property, or (2) knowing that any 775
person under twenty-one years of age possesses cannabis in violation of 776
section [21-279a] 21a-279a, in such dwelling unit or on such private 777
property, fail to make reasonable efforts to halt such possession. 778
Sec. 20. Section 21a-426 of the general statutes is repealed and the 779
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2025): 780
(a) As used in this section: 781
(1) "Cannabis establishment" has the same meaning as provided in 782
section 21a-420, as amended by this act; 783
(2) "Consumer" has the same meaning as provided in section 21a-420, 784
as amended by this act; 785
(3) "Container" (A) means an object that is offered, intended for sale 786
or sold to a consumer and directly contains (i) a manufacturer hemp 787
product, or (ii) a moderate-THC hemp product, and (B) does not include 788
an object or packaging that indirectly contains, or contains in bulk for 789
transportation purposes, (i) a manufacturer hemp product, or (ii) a 790
moderate-THC hemp product; 791
(4) "Hemp flower" (A) means the flower, including, but not limited 792
to, any abnormal or immature flower, of hemp, as defined in section 22-793
61l, and (B) does not include the leaves or stem of hemp, as defined in 794 Substitute Bill No. 6855
LCO 27 of 34
said section 22-61l; 795
[(4)] (5) "Manufacturer" has the same meaning as provided in section 796
22-61l; 797
[(5)] (6) "Manufacturer hemp product" has the same meaning as 798
provided in section 22-61l; 799
[(6)] (7) "Moderate-THC hemp product" (A) means a manufacturer 800
hemp product that has a total THC [, as defined in section 21a-240,] 801
concentration of not less than one-half of one milligram, and not more 802
than five milligrams, on a per-container basis, and (B) does not include 803
(i) an infused beverage, as defined in section 21a-425, or (ii) a legacy 804
infused beverage, as defined in section 21a-425; and 805
[(7)] (8) "Moderate-THC hemp product vendor" means a person that 806
(A) holds a certificate of registration issued by the Commissioner of 807
Consumer Protection pursuant to this section, and (B) is not a cannabis 808
establishment. 809
(b) Beginning on January 1, 2025, no person shall sell or offer to sell, 810
at retail, any moderate-THC hemp product in the state to consumers 811
unless such person is a cannabis establishment or holds a certificate of 812
registration issued by the Commissioner of Consumer Protection 813
pursuant to this section. The provisions of this section shall not apply to 814
the wholesale or commercial distribution of moderate-THC hemp 815
products for resale. 816
(c) (1) (A) Beginning on January 1, 2025, a person seeking a certificate 817
of registration as a moderate-THC hemp product vendor shall submit 818
to the Commissioner of Consumer Protection, in a form and manner 819
prescribed by the commissioner, an application accompanied by a 820
nonrefundable application fee in the amount of two thousand dollars or, 821
if the applicant actively holds a manufacturer license, in the amount of 822
one thousand dollars. Such application shall, at a minimum, disclose: 823
(i) The location in the state where such person currently sells or offers 824 Substitute Bill No. 6855
LCO 28 of 34
to sell, or proposes to sell or offer to sell, at retail, moderate-THC hemp 825
products to consumers; and 826
(ii) Except as provided in subparagraph (C) of this subdivision, 827
information sufficient for the commissioner to determine that: 828
(I) During the preceding year, at least eighty-five per cent of the 829
average monthly gross revenue generated at such existing retail location 830
was derived from sales, at retail, of moderate-THC hemp products and 831
hemp flower to consumers; or 832
(II) It is reasonably likely that at least eighty-five per cent of the 833
average monthly gross revenue to be generated at such proposed retail 834
location will be derived from sales, at retail, of moderate-THC hemp 835
products and hemp flower to consumers. 836
(B) Except as provided in subparagraph (C) of this subdivision, the 837
commissioner shall not issue a certificate of registration as a moderate-838
THC hemp product vendor unless the commissioner has determined 839
that the applicant satisfies, or is reasonably likely to satisfy, the 840
minimum sales threshold established in subparagraph (A) of this 841
subdivision. Each such certificate shall expire annually, and shall allow 842
the moderate-THC hemp product vendor to sell and offer to sell, at 843
retail, moderate-THC hemp products and hemp flower to consumers at 844
such location. 845
(C) (i) No person seeking a certificate of registration as a moderate-846
THC hemp product vendor shall be required to disclose information 847
sufficient for the Commissioner of Consumer Protection to determine 848
that such person satisfies, or is reasonably likely to satisfy, the minimum 849
sales threshold established in subparagraph (A) of this subdivision if 850
such person (I) manufactures moderate-THC hemp products at the 851
location in the state where such person sells or offers to sell, or proposes 852
to sell or offer to sell, at retail, moderate-THC hemp products to 853
consumers, or (II) is actively licensed and operating as a manufacturer 854
and sells or offers to sell, or proposes to sell or offer to sell, at retail, to 855
consumers moderate-THC hemp products manufactured by such 856 Substitute Bill No. 6855
LCO 29 of 34
manufacturer. 857
(ii) The commissioner may issue a certificate of registration as a 858
moderate-THC hemp product vendor to a person that satisfies the 859
criteria set forth in subparagraph (C)(i) of this subdivision even if such 860
person does not satisfy the minimum sales threshold established in 861
subparagraph (A) of this subdivision. 862
(2) (A) Each certificate issued pursuant to this section shall be 863
renewable for additional one-year periods. Each moderate-THC hemp 864
product vendor seeking renewal shall submit to the Commissioner of 865
Consumer Protection, in a form and manner prescribed by the 866
commissioner, a renewal application accompanied by a nonrefundable 867
renewal application fee in the amount of two thousand dollars or, if the 868
moderate-THC hemp product vendor actively holds a manufacturer 869
license, in the amount of one thousand dollars. Such application shall, 870
at a minimum and except as provided in subparagraph (B) of this 871
subdivision, disclose information sufficient for the commissioner to 872
determine that, during the preceding registration year, at least eighty-873
five per cent of the average monthly gross revenue generated at the 874
moderate-THC hemp product vendor's registered retail location was 875
derived from sales, at retail, of moderate-THC hemp products and 876
hemp flower to consumers. Except as provided in subparagraph (B) of 877
this subdivision, the commissioner shall not issue a renewal to a 878
moderate-THC hemp product vendor unless the commissioner has 879
determined that the moderate-THC hemp product vendor satisfied such 880
minimum sales threshold. 881
(B) (i) No moderate-THC hemp product vendor seeking renewal of a 882
certificate issued pursuant to this section shall be required to disclose 883
information sufficient for the Commissioner of Consumer Protection to 884
determine that such moderate-THC hemp product vendor satisfied the 885
minimum sales threshold established in subparagraph (A) of this 886
subdivision if (I) such moderate-THC hemp product vendor 887
manufactures moderate-THC hemp products at such moderate-THC 888
hemp product vendor's registered retail location, or (II) is actively 889 Substitute Bill No. 6855
LCO 30 of 34
licensed and operating as a manufacturer and sells or offers to sell, at 890
retail, to consumers moderate-THC hemp products manufactured by 891
such manufacturer. 892
(ii) The commissioner may issue a renewal to a moderate-THC hemp 893
product vendor that satisfies the criteria set forth in subparagraph (B)(i) 894
of this subdivision even if the moderate-THC hemp product vendor did 895
not satisfy the minimum sales threshold established in subparagraph 896
(A) of this subdivision. 897
(3) All fees collected by the department under this section shall be 898
deposited in the consumer protection enforcement account established 899
in section 21a-8a. 900
(d) No person may act as a moderate-THC hemp product vendor, or 901
represent that such person is a moderate-THC hemp product vendor, 902
unless such person has obtained and actively holds a certificate of 903
registration as a moderate-THC hemp product vendor issued by the 904
Commissioner of Consumer Protection pursuant to this section. 905
(e) No cannabis establishment or moderate-THC hemp product 906
vendor, or agent or employee of a cannabis establishment or moderate-907
THC hemp product vendor, shall sell a moderate-THC hemp product 908
or hemp flower to any individual who is younger than twenty-one years 909
of age. Prior to selling any moderate-THC hemp product or hemp 910
flower to an individual, the cannabis establishment, moderate-THC 911
hemp product vendor, agent or employee shall first verify the 912
individual's age with a valid government-issued driver's license or 913
identity card to establish that such individual is twenty-one years of age 914
or older. If a moderate-THC hemp product vendor sells any moderate-915
THC hemp product or hemp flower by any means other than in an in-916
person transaction conducted at the moderate-THC hemp product 917
vendor's registered retail location, including, but not limited to, by way 918
of an Internet web site or mail order, such moderate-THC hemp product 919
vendor shall ensure that the age of the individual who receives such 920
moderate-THC hemp product or hemp flower is verified upon purchase 921 Substitute Bill No. 6855
LCO 31 of 34
and evidenced upon delivery with a valid government-issued driver's 922
license or identity card to establish that such individual is twenty-one 923
years of age or older. 924
(f) No person shall sell any moderate-THC hemp product intended 925
for human ingestion in packaging that includes more than two 926
containers. 927
(g) All moderate-THC hemp products shall meet the standards set 928
forth for manufacturer hemp products in subsections (v), (w) and (x) of 929
section 22-61m, as amended by this act. 930
(h) All moderate-THC hemp products shall meet (1) the testing 931
standards for manufacturer hemp products established in, and any 932
regulations adopted pursuant to, section 22-61m, as amended by this 933
act, or (2) such other testing standards for manufacturer hemp products 934
as the Commissioner of Consumer Protection, in the commissioner's 935
discretion, may designate. 936
(i) Each moderate-THC hemp product container shall prominently 937
display a symbol, in a size of not less than one-half inch by one-half inch 938
and in a format approved by the Commissioner of Consumer Protection, 939
that indicates that such moderate-THC hemp product is not legal or safe 940
for individuals younger than twenty-one years of age. 941
(j) No cannabis establishment or moderate-THC hemp product 942
vendor, or agent or employee of a cannabis establishment or moderate-943
THC hemp product vendor, shall gift or transfer any moderate-THC 944
hemp product at no cost to a consumer as part of a commercial 945
transaction. 946
(k) Each moderate-THC hemp product vendor shall be subject to the 947
investigation and enforcement provisions set forth in section 21a-421p. 948
(l) The Commissioner of Consumer Protection shall adopt 949
regulations, in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54, to 950
implement the provisions of this section. Notwithstanding the 951 Substitute Bill No. 6855
LCO 32 of 34
requirements of sections 4-168 to 4-172, inclusive, the commissioner 952
shall, prior to adopting such regulations and in order to effectuate the 953
provisions of this section, issue policies and procedures to implement 954
the provisions of this section that shall have the force and effect of law. 955
The commissioner shall post all policies and procedures on the 956
Department of Consumer Protection's Internet web site, and submit 957
such policies and procedures to the Secretary of the State for posting on 958
the eRegulations System, at least fifteen days prior to the effective date 959
of any policy or procedure. Any such policy or procedure shall no longer 960
be effective upon the earlier of either the adoption of the policy or 961
procedure as a final regulation under section 4-172 or forty-eight 962
months from July 1, 2024, if such regulations have not been submitted 963
to the legislative regulation review committee for consideration under 964
section 4-170. 965
(m) Following a hearing conducted in accordance with chapter 54, 966
the Commissioner of Consumer Protection may impose an 967
administrative civil penalty, not to exceed five thousand dollars per 968
violation, and suspend, revoke or place conditions upon any moderate-969
THC hemp product vendor that violates any provision of this section or 970
any regulation adopted pursuant to subsection (l) of this section. Any 971
administrative civil penalty collected under this subsection shall be 972
deposited in the consumer protection enforcement account established 973
in section 21a-8a. 974
Sec. 21. Subsection (s) of section 22-61m of the general statutes is 975
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 976
1, 2025): 977
(s) Any claim of health impacts, medical effects or physical or mental 978
benefits shall be prohibited on any advertising for, labeling of or 979
marketing of manufacturer hemp products, including, but not limited 980
to, moderate-THC hemp products, as defined in section 21a-426, as 981
amended by this act, or hemp flower, as defined in section 21a-426, as 982
amended by this act, regardless of whether such manufacturer hemp 983
products were manufactured, or hemp flower was cultivated, in this 984 Substitute Bill No. 6855
LCO 33 of 34
state or another jurisdiction. Any violation of this subsection shall be 985
deemed an unfair or deceptive trade practice under subsection (a) of 986
section 42-110b. 987
Sec. 22. (Effective July 1, 2025) During the period beginning July 1, 988
2025, and ending October 1, 2026, the Department of Consumer 989
Protection shall, not later than the first day of August, November, 990
February and May, submit a report, in accordance with the provisions 991
of section 11-4a of the general statutes, to the Governor and the joint 992
standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of 993
matters relating to consumer protection. Each report shall contain the 994
following: 995
(1) For each fiscal quarter, (A) the number of applicants that were 996
selected from the lottery, broken down by license type, (B) the number 997
of provisional licenses that the department issued pursuant to 998
RERACA, broken down by license type, (C) the number of final licenses 999
that the department issued pursuant to RERACA, broken down by 1000
license type and town, and (D) the mechanism by which the department 1001
issued each final license pursuant to RERACA, including, but not 1002
limited to, by way of the lottery, to equity joint ventures and to 1003
cultivators located in disproportionately impacted areas; 1004
(2) For the previous four fiscal quarters, a chart demonstrating the 1005
increase or decrease in the number of cannabis establishment licenses 1006
issued for each license type per fiscal quarter; and 1007
(3) Any other information the department, in the department's 1008
discretion, may deem appropriate. 1009
Sec. 23. Section 20 of public act 23-79 is repealed. (Effective June 30, 1010
2025) 1011
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:
Section 1 October 1, 2025 New section Substitute Bill No. 6855
LCO 34 of 34
Sec. 2 January 1, 2026 20-627
Sec. 3 January 1, 2026 20-633b(j)
Sec. 4 from passage 21a-243
Sec. 5 January 1, 2026 21a-408c
Sec. 6 July 1, 2025 21a-420(1)
Sec. 7 from passage 21a-420(2)
Sec. 8 July 1, 2025 New section
Sec. 9 July 1, 2025 New section
Sec. 10 July 1, 2025 New section
Sec. 11 July 1, 2025 21a-420g(k)
Sec. 12 from passage 21a-420p(e)
Sec. 13 from passage 21a-420r(b)
Sec. 14 from passage 21a-420s(b)
Sec. 15 January 1, 2026 21a-420j(e) and (f)
Sec. 16 January 1, 2026 21a-420m(f) to (i)
Sec. 17 January 1, 2026 21a-420u(f) to (i)
Sec. 18 July 1, 2025 21a-421a
Sec. 19 from passage 21a-421ccc(a)
Sec. 20 October 1, 2025 21a-426
Sec. 21 October 1, 2025 22-61m(s)
Sec. 22 July 1, 2025 New section
Sec. 23 June 30, 2025 Repealer section
Statement of Legislative Commissioners:
In Section 3(j), "from" was added before "a third-party entity" for clarity,
and "license" was changed to "registration" for consistency; in Section
5(a)(4)(B), "to" was added before "the qualifying patient's caregiver" and
"a person" for clarity; in Section 5(b)(6)(B), "to" was added before "a
person"; in Section 8(d), the third sentence was rewritten for clarity; in
Section 8(e), "may" was added before "revoke" for clarity; in Section
11(k)(2), "evidencing" was changed to "verifying" for clarity; in Section
22, "February, May, August and November" was changed to "August,
November, February and May" for clarity.
GL Joint Favorable Subst.