Connecticut Committee Approves Bill to Expand Marijuana Access, Revise Hemp Rules and Overhaul Infused Beverage Regulations

The Connecticut Joint Committee on General Law has voted 13 to 8 to advance House Bill 5350, which would make numerous changes to the state’s marijuana and hemp laws. Among the most notable provisions, the bill would allow qualifying out-of-state patients to access Connecticut’s medical marijuana market. Although recreational cannabis is legal for everyone 21 and older, patients can purchase cannabis tax-free, and can possess up to five ounces rather than 1.5. The medical cannabis program is also accessible for those under 21, given they have a physician recommendation.

The legislation would create a cannabis regulatory working group and make a series of adjustments to how marijuana businesses operate. That includes allowing marijuana establishments to transport cannabis products using fewer staffing requirements in certain situations, while also making changes to rules for producer transport vehicles and product handling. The bill would also remove certain pharmacist-related requirements for hybrid retailers, including the requirement to keep a pharmacist on site, offer pharmacist consultations and maintain a dedicated consultation room.

The bill would give the Social Equity Council until 2027 to review and approve rules and policies related to social equity applications. It would also require the Department of Consumer Protection and the Social Equity Council to submit policies and procedures to the legislature’s General Assembly committees with jurisdiction over consumer protection. In addition, certain transfers or sales involving licenses originally issued to social equity applicants would require formal review and approval.

Another provision would prevent retailers, hybrid retailers and dispensary facilities from retaining a customer’s personal data obtained for age verification purposes for longer than 24 hours, with limited exceptions. The bill would also make changes to advertising rules by allowing marijuana establishments to maintain social media accounts, though those accounts still could not target minors. It would also make certain licensing materials, including security plans and criminal background information, confidential and exempt from public records requests.

The measure also contains several hemp-related changes. It would revise the definition of hemp products, expand labeling and packaging requirements, and require a disclosure label for products containing cannabinoids. It would also increase the amount of THC allowed in certain infused beverages and high-THC beverages, while updating testing and labeling requirements for those products. The bill would also add a new $1 fee on each infused beverage container sold by a retailer, hybrid retailer or dispensary.

In addition, the legislation would authorize infused beverage wholesalers to sell products to more liquor permittees, establish a commercial extractor license, and create a new infused beverage on-premises consumption endorsement for certain permit holders. It would also place new limits on certain financial arrangements between retailers and cultivators or producers, allowing credit or borrowing for no more than 30 days.

The bill would also make a variety of technical and administrative revisions, including changes involving laboratory testing, packaging, product disclosures, and the commissioner’s authority to establish rules related to marijuana product traceability and oversight.

Taken together, HB 5350 represents one of the broader cannabis-related proposals introduced in Connecticut this year, combining marijuana access changes, hemp revisions and infused beverage updates into a single package.