It looks like no one will be able to purchase medical marijuana in Seymour anytime soon.
An unnamed company was interested in opening a marijuana dispensary in town. A lawyer representing the company had been scheduled to talk to elected officials at the Nov. 19 Board of Selectmen meeting.
However, First Selectman Kurt Miller’s office sent word prior to the meeting saying the company had backed out, so the company’s representative was a no-show at the Selectmen meeting.
Background
Medical marijuana was made legal in Connecticut by a law passed in May 2012.
Since then the state has been busy setting up a bevy of regulations and procedures to govern the new industry. There are many companies looking to break into the marijuana business.
Applications for commercial grow operations and stores to sell the product to patients were submitted to the state’s Department of Consumer Protection Nov. 15.
Sixteen companies applied for production licenses, according to the Hartford Courant. The paper also reported 21 companies applied for dispensary licenses — but it is not known where any of those companies want to open up shop.
Click here to read the Courant’s story.
The public, at this point, only knows where the dispensary parent companies are based — which isn’t the same as where the companies actually want to open up. But the state is in receipt of all the info.
Brief Talk In Seymour
Although the matter died on the vine in Seymour, at least in terms of agenda items to discuss at the Nov. 19 Selectmen meeting, elected officials had a brief discussion nonetheless.
Selectwoman Karen Stanek pointed out that both Ansonia and Shelton passed moratoriums on medical marijuana-related businesses in an effort to get acquainted with the new state regulations on the emerging industry.
She inferred that Seymour might do the same because there are lots on unanswered questions about the new regulations.
Stanek said she attended a recent forum on medical marijuana sponsored by the Valley Substance Abuse Action Council.
“In the two hours I was there, there were more questions than answers,” Stanek said.
She said she had no problem ​“conceptually” with marijuana being used for medical use, but viewed the state’s medical marijuana law with an inquisitive eye.
“I do think we need to ask a lot more questions on this particular statute before we make a decision, if we vote at all,” Stanek said.
Miller responded by saying he had invited a lawyer representing the marijuana company to the Selectmen meeting to answer any and all questions elected officials had on the issue.
To see the selectmen discuss the issue, click here to see video of Tuesday’s meeting recorded by Frank Loda, a private citizen. The marijuana discussion begins around the 15:29 mark and finishes about 18:30.