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The six facilities may legally dispense Connecticut-produced marijuana products to seriously ill patients who have been certified by their physicians as potentially benefiting from the use of medical marijuana, and who have registered with the state’s Medical Marijuana Program.
Consumer Protection Commissioner William M. Rubenstein on Thursday announced the names and locations of the first six dispensary facilities.
“With the selection of dispensary facilities, all necessary pieces of the medical marijuana program are in place and we are poised to provide patients with a safe and secure source of needed medicine,” Rubenstein said.
“As retail points from which products are dispensed and educational materials are provided to patients, the dispensary facilities will be the public face of Connecticut’s medical marijuana program, and therefore, careful thought and deliberation went into selection of the most qualified applicants.”
Like the four producers that were awarded licenses in January, the six dispensary facilities were chosen through a competitive process, from 27 applicants. Each applicant was required to provide detailed information, including the applicant’s qualifications and experience, a business plan identifying the products and services it will offer, security features, and plans to provide benefits to the local community.
These are the selected dispensary facilities:
- Arrow Alternative Care Inc., 92 Weston St., Hartford
- Bluepoint Apothecary, 469 E. Main St., Branford
- D & B Wellness, 2181 Main St., Bridgeport
- Prime Wellness of Connecticut, 75 John Fitch Blvd., South Windsor
- Thames Valley Apothecary, 1100 Norwich-New London Turnpike (Route 32), Uncasville
- The Healing Corner Inc., 159 E. Main St., Bristol
The selected dispensary facilities will be eligible to receive their licenses upon payment of the $5,000 license fee and submission of certain final documentation, which must occur within 30 days.
The facilities will then begin construction, as needed, hire and train staff, and develop educational programs and materials. All are expected to be ready to open and serve patients by the time marijuana products are available from licensed producers this summer.
Four companies, including two based in Fairfield County, were awarded the first contracts to grow and produce the medical marijuana that will be sold in the dispensaries.
Fairfield-based Advanced Grow Labs, one of the approved companies, is owned by Westport resident David Lipton. The facility will be in a warehouse in West Haven.
The state also approved Curaleaf, which is based in Greenwich and is run by Greenwich resident Robert Birnbaum, 60. He is also president of the Greenwich Reformed Synagogue. Its facility will be in Simsbury.
The state also awarded licenses to Connecticut Pharmaceutical Solutions with a facility to be located in Portland and to Theraplant with a facility to be located in Watertown.
Last October, Fairfield's Planning and Zoning Board denied an application from Advanced Grow Labs for a dispensary on the Post Road in Fairfield.
The state approved the use of medical marijuana bill in May 2012, limiting the purchase of the product to people with a legal prescription given to them by a licensed doctor.
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