KENT—Faced with the upcoming holiday season, the Planning and Zoning Commission’s Cannabis Subcommittee has pushed its public informational meeting on cannabis regulations to January.
The subcommittee has crafted a survey that will be posted soliciting public input but decided to wait until after the informational meeting before posting it. It may be revised in response to the questions and concerns raised during the meeting.
The PZC has initiated a six-month moratorium on applications for any kind of cannabis-related businesses, giving it time to formulate regulations. The moratorium, which can be extended, continues into the spring.
“I feel the informational meeting should be a hybrid event because we will have speakers from other parts of the state,” said Sarah Chase, chairman of the subcommittee.
“We’re not scientists; we’re regulators,” she continued. “We have a duty to talk to the town about regulations, but this will not be the place to host questions about science or policies on health care. We want people from the regulatory side for panelists, who can inform us about best practices for zoning.”
One of the panelists Chase would like to have participate is Erin Gorman Kirk, who in May was named as the state’s first cannabis ombudsman to advocate on behalf of medical cannabis patients.
The Office of the Cannabis Ombudsman was established by the General Assembly on July 1, 2023, and receives administrative support from the Office of the Healthcare Advocate.
A second panelist she would like to participate is Michelle Seagull, a lawyer who led the 2012 crafting of Connecticut’s medical marijuana program and, more recently, the Consumer Protection agency’s creation of the recreational use cannabis program.
Saying that a panel of three to four experts on the subject would be optimal, Chase said she would try to “pull in one or two federal people.”
Chase, the former executive director of the Washington, D.C.-based Council for Federal Cannabis Regulation, has warned PZC members that the subject of cannabis regulation is “nuanced and complicated,” with many different aspects to consider such as agriculture, medical cannabis, social equity, the cultivation of cannabis and hemp, and retail and producer perspectives.
In an op-ed published this June in the Republican-American, she said that the Drug Enforcement Agency’s decision to reschedule marijuana cannabis to a Schedule III drug signifies a new era where the federal government now recognizes the plant’s medical benefits.
“This change, prompted by President Biden’s directive for a review of marijuana’s scheduling, is a result of relentless advocacy by patients, physicians, scientists, and policymakers,” she wrote. “For Connecticut, this shift could refine the medical and legal landscape for cannabis, benefiting the state in multiple significant ways.”
She said the recognition “is crucial for advancing research and acceptance of cannabis as a legitimate treatment option, which could greatly benefit Connecticut’s medical professionals and patients alike.”
But she cautioned it is important for Connecticut residents to understand that while the state may have its cannabis programs, these are not automatically compliant with federal law under the new scheduling.
“While the move to Schedule III is a step forward, it does not equate to full legalization …” she wrote. “ … Connecticut can play a vital role in shaping future national discussions on cannabis, leveraging the new scheduling status to advocate for more comprehensive federal reforms.”
As for Kent’s small part in forwarding this discussion, she said the discussion should be community wide.
“We’re providing information for our swim lane,” she told the subcommittee members, “but we could encourage others to host events.”
Most of the people on her short list of panelists would be open to answering questions through emails after the informational meeting. People who cannot attend the meeting would also be able to submit questions in advance of the recorded meeting.
Subcommittee member Anne McAndrew asked if “pushback” is expected from the populace as the PZC formulates regulations.
“This is for education,” said member Chris Harrington. “There shouldn’t be pushback.”
Following the informational meeting the survey will capture responses for several months.
“We could have a first draft of the regulation by March,” said PZC Chairman Wesley Wyrick, “which gives us the summer to work through it.”
