Title 21a — Title 21a: Consumer Protection

Sec. 21a-420. Definitions. As used in RERACA, unless the context otherwise requires: (1) “Responsible and Equitable Regulation of Adult-Use Cannabis Act” or “RERACA” means this section, sections 2-56j, 7-294kk, 7-294ll, 12-330ll to 12-330nn, inclusive, 14-227p, 21a-278b, 21a-278c…

Sec. 21a-420a. Purchase, possession, display, sale or transportation of cannabis legal. Notwithstanding any provision of the general statutes, the purchase, possession, display, sale or transportation of cannabis by a cannabis establishment or employee thereof shall not be unlawf…

Sec. 21a-420aa. Social equity applicants. Withdrawal of cultivator application and submission of micro-cultivator application. (a)(1) During the period beginning July 1, 2024, and ending March 31, 2025, a social equity applicant that has submitted an application to the department…

Sec. 21a-420b. Enforcement of violations of federal law related to cannabis. (a) No agency or political subdivision of the state may rely on a violation of federal law related to cannabis as the sole basis for taking an adverse action against a person, except for any adverse acti…

Sec. 21a-420c. License required for sale, offering or delivery of cannabis. Penalties. Enforcement powers of commissioner, Attorney General and municipalities. (a) Except as provided in RERACA and chapter 420b or 420f, (1) no person, other than a retailer, hybrid retailer, micro-…

Sec. 21a-420d. Social Equity Council established. Membership. Powers. Study. Recommendations. List of disproportionately impacted areas. Duties. Bylaws. Reports. (a) There is established a Social Equity Council, which shall be within the Department of Economic and Community Devel…

Sec. 21a-420e. Timeline for initial applications for licensure. Fees for licenses. Disclosure of application information. (a) Not later than thirty days after the date that the Social Equity Council identifies the criteria and the necessary supporting documentation for social equ…

Sec. 21a-420f. Accounts and funds. Deposits. Transfers. Estimates and adjustments of expenditure requirements. (a)(1) There is established an account to be known as the “cannabis regulatory and investment account” which shall be a separate, nonlapsing account within the General F…

Sec. 21a-420g. Review of applications by Social Equity Council. Maximum number of applications. Lotteries. Rankings to be confidential. Disqualification. Provisional license. Final license. (a) The Social Equity Council shall review the ownership information and any other informa…

Sec. 21a-420h. Regulations re sale or change in ownership of control of cannabis establishment license awarded to social equity applicant. Policies and procedures. Enforcement. The Social Equity Council shall adopt regulations, in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54, to …

Sec. 21a-420i. Restriction on holding, controlling or being a backer of two or more cannabis establishment licenses in the same license type or category. From July 1, 2021, until June 30, 2025, the department shall not award a cannabis establishment license to any lottery applica…

Sec. 21a-420j. Creation of equity joint ventures by cultivator. Requirements. Limitations. Fees. (a) A cultivator licensed under section 21a-420o may create not more than two equity joint ventures to be approved by the Social Equity Council under section 21a-420d, and licensed by…

Sec. 21a-420k. Reserved for future use.

Sec. 21a-420l. Authorization for expanded activity of producer. Social equity partnership. (a) In addition to activity permitted under chapter 420f, a producer may sell, deliver, transfer, transport, manufacture or package cannabis utilizing a transporter or the producer's own em…

Sec. 21a-420m. Creation of equity joint ventures by producer. Requirements. Limitations. Fees. (a) In order to pay a reduced license expansion authorization fee as described in subsection (b) of section 21a-420l, a producer shall commit to create two equity joint ventures to be a…

Sec. 21a-420n. Cultivator license. (a) On and after July 1, 2021, the department may issue or renew a license for a person to be a cultivator. No person may act as a cultivator or represent that such person is a licensed cultivator unless such person has obtained a license from t…

Sec. 21a-420o. Provisional cultivator license for social equity applicants. Final license for facility in disproportionately impacted area. (a) Thirty days after the Social Equity Council posts the criteria for social equity applicants on its Internet web site, the department sha…

Sec. 21a-420p. Micro-cultivator license. (a) On and after July 1, 2021, the department may issue or renew a license for a person to be a micro-cultivator. No person may act as a micro-cultivator or represent that such person is a licensed micro-cultivator unless such person has o…

Sec. 21a-420q. Regulations re maximum grow space. Policies and procedures. The commissioner shall adopt regulations, in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54, to establish the maximum grow space permitted by a cultivator and micro-cultivator. In adopting such regulations, …

Sec. 21a-420r. Retailer license. (a) On and after July 1, 2021, the department may issue or renew a license for a person to be a retailer. No person may act as a retailer or represent that such person is a retailer unless such person has obtained a license from the department pur…

Sec. 21a-420s. Hybrid retailer license. (a) On and after July 1, 2021, the department may issue or renew a license for a hybrid retailer. No person may act as a hybrid retailer or represent that such person is a hybrid retailer unless such person has obtained a license from the d…

Sec. 21a-420t. Conversion of dispensary facility license to hybrid retailer license. Real-time uploads to prescription drug monitoring program required. Delivery of cannabis or medical marijuana. (a) A dispensary facility may apply to the department, on a form and in a manner pre…

Sec. 21a-420u. Workforce development plan required for conversion to dispensary facility to hybrid retailer. Equity joint ventures: Application, approval requirements and limitations. Fees. (a) In order for a dispensary facility to convert its license to a hybrid-retailer license…

Sec. 21a-420v. Denial of change of location application of dispensary facility or hybrid retailer authorized. (a) Until June 30, 2023, the commissioner may deny a change of location application from a dispensary facility or hybrid retailer based on the needs of qualifying patient…

Sec. 21a-420w. Food and beverage manufacturer license. (a) On and after July 1, 2021, the department may issue or renew a license for a person to be a food and beverage manufacturer. No person may act as a food and beverage manufacturer or represent that such person is a licensed…

Sec. 21a-420x. Product manufacturer license. (a) On and after July 1, 2021, the department may issue or renew a license for a person to be a product manufacturer. No person may act as a product manufacturer or represent that such person is a licensed product manufacturer unless s…

Sec. 21a-420y. Product packager license. (a) On and after July 1, 2021, the department may issue or renew a license for a person to be a product packager. No person may act as a product packager or represent that such person is a product packager unless such person has obtained a…

Sec. 21a-420z. Delivery service and transporter licenses. Regulations and policies and procedures. Registration of delivery service employees. (a) On and after July 1, 2021, the department may issue or renew a license for a person to be a delivery service or a transporter. No per…

Sec. 21a-421. Age requirement to hold license or be backer or key employee of cannabis establishment. Registration and licensure requirements. (a) Any person shall be twenty-one years of age or older to: (1) Hold any cannabis establishment license issued pursuant to RERACA; or (2…

Sec. 21a-421a. Registration requirement for employees of cannabis establishment, cannabis testing laboratory or research program. Licensure requirement for backers and key employees. Application requirements. Notice requirements. Regulations. (a) Each employee of a cannabis estab…

Sec. 21a-421aa. Prohibitions re retailers, hybrid retailers, cannabis for animal use or consumption, cannabis plants, assignment or transfer of license or registration without approval, transfers to or from outside the state and synthetic cannabinoids. Per-transaction limits. (a)…

Sec. 21a-421aaa. Sale or delivery of cannabis or cannabis paraphernalia to person under twenty-one. Any cannabis establishment licensee or any servant or agent of a licensee who sells or delivers cannabis or cannabis paraphernalia to any person under twenty-one years of age shall…

Sec. 21a-421b. Criminal history records checks required for licensure. Fees. (a) For the purposes of this section: (1) “Applicant” means an entity applying for an initial or renewal cannabis establishment or cannabis testing laboratory license; (2) “Entity” means an association, …

Sec. 21a-421bb. Prohibitions re advertisement of cannabis and cannabis products. Registration of cannabis brand names. (a) No person, other than the holder of a cannabis establishment license issued pursuant to this chapter or a person who provides professional services related t…

Sec. 21a-421bbb. Inducement of person under twenty-one to procure cannabis. Any person who induces any person under twenty-one years of age to procure cannabis from any person licensed to sell such cannabis shall be guilty of a class A misdemeanor. The provisions of this section …

Sec. 21a-421c. Third-party background checks for backer or key employee license applications. Notwithstanding the provisions of sections 21a-421a and 21a-421b, the commissioner may accept a third-party local and national criminal background check submitted by an applicant for a b…

Sec. 21a-421cc. Prohibition re display of cannabis, cannabis products and drug paraphernalia by cannabis establishment. No cannabis establishment shall display cannabis, cannabis products or drug paraphernalia in a manner that is visible to the general public from a public right-…

Sec. 21a-421ccc. Possession of cannabis in dwelling unit or private property by person under twenty-one. (a) No person having possession of, or exercising dominion and control over, any dwelling unit or private property shall: (1) Knowingly or recklessly permit any person under t…

Sec. 21a-421d. Labor peace agreements with bona fide labor organizations. List of bona fide labor organizations. Arbitration. Civil action. Prohibition against sale, transport or transfer of cannabis while license suspended. (a) As used in this section: (1) “Bona fide labor organ…

Sec. 21a-421dd. Restrictions on activities of certain state employees or members involved in the regulation of cannabis. Restrictions on former state employees, members or legislators obtaining a cannabis establishment license. (a) No member of the Social Equity Council and no em…

Sec. 21a-421ddd. Sale, delivery, or giving of cannabis to person under twenty-one by person aged twenty-three or older. Any person twenty-three years of age or older who sells, delivers or gives cannabis, as defined in section 21a-420, to any person under twenty-one years of age,…

Sec. 21a-421e. Project labor agreement required. Civil action for enforcement. Penalty. (a) As used in this section: (1) “Affiliated business entity” means a business entity that, either directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, is controlled by, or is under comm…

Sec. 21a-421ee. Denial of professional licenses due to employment or affiliation with a cannabis establishment or legal possession, use or certain convictions for possession of cannabis restricted. Except when required by federal law, an agreement between the federal government a…

Sec. 21a-421eee. Loitering on cannabis retailer or hybrid retailer premises. (a) No retailer or hybrid retailer or employee or agent of a retailer or hybrid retailer shall permit any person under twenty-one years of age to loiter on his or her premises where cannabis is kept for …

Sec. 21a-421f. Cannabis business accelerator program. (a) The Social Equity Council, in coordination with the Departments of Consumer Protection and Economic and Community Development, shall develop a cannabis business accelerator program to provide technical assistance to partic…

Sec. 21a-421ff. Cannabis establishments, backers and employees not subject to arrest or certain other penalties. Exception. Notwithstanding any provision of the general statutes, no cannabis establishment, employee, or backer of a cannabis establishment may be subject to arrest o…

Sec. 21a-421fff. Use of motor vehicle operator's license or identity card as proof of age. Misrepresentation of age to procure cannabis. (a) Each person who attains the age of twenty-one years and has a motor vehicle operator's license or identity card issued in accordance with t…

Sec. 21a-421g. Workforce training program for cannabis industry. (a) The Social Equity Council, in coordination with the Department of Economic and Community Development and Labor Department, shall develop a workforce training program to further equity goals, ensure cannabis esta…

Secs. 21a-421gg to 21a-421zz. Reserved for future use.

Sec. 21a-421ggg. Photographing person whose age is in question and photocopying such person's driver's license or identity card. Use of photograph or photography. Affirmative defense. Use of online age verification system. (a) A cannabis establishment issued a license pursuant to…