Here’s Where Cannabis Cultivators May Set Up in Connecticut
If you're worried that a large-scale cannabis cultivator grow house will suddenly appear overnight next to your condo complex, don't. That is, unless your neighborhood has been identified as a "Disproportionately Impacted Area" which was approved by Connecticut's Social Equity Council. But, if you live within one of the blue-shaded areas on the map you see above, it may start to smell a bit skunky soon.
The Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection and Governor Ned Lamont have just announced that 16 out of the 41 cannabis cultivator companies that had applied for cultivator licenses have been approved by Connecticut's Social Equity Council. Now, they wait again to move forward in the processes to build cannabis cultivation facilities around the state. Our state is trying so hard to be the national leader when it comes to addressing the inequities and injustices caused by the prohibition of cannabis.
Connecticut's Social Equities Council has crunched all their numbers, and have identified the cities, towns, and areas of Connecticut where residents have been disproportionately impacted by cannabis prohibition. More citizens were arrested and convicted for marijuana possession in these areas, or the unemployment rate is greater than 10%. As you can imagine, Connecticut's largest cities make up the majority of the list.
Glancing over the map, it's hard to find any area of Greater Danbury that has been identified. The closest areas are Morris, which lands on the list due to its 12.5% unemployment rate, and good old Waterbury, which is basically covered in the map above, except for the Town Plot and Bunker Hill neighborhoods. Litchfield County is mostly bare, but the large cities along the Connecticut shoreline - Stamford, Norwalk, Bridgeport, New Haven, and New London are all prime locations for future cannabis cultivators. So are Beacon Falls, Meriden, most of the greater Hartford area, and Norwich. If you live in areas zoned for commercial business in those cities, you may see a cannabis cultivator set up shop there in the next few months.
You can find out more about the announcement by clicking HERE