All posts in Connecticut News

There are legitimate concerns about recreational marijuana. Legalization enacted by Connecticut July 1 lets municipalities decide whether they want to have dispensaries. In Southington, names are being gathered for a petition for a referendum in November, while the town’s Planning and Zoning Commission is working on language to prohibit sales in town. All of this is in the open and can be considered part of a healthy debate. What appears incongruous is the decision by the Apple Harvest Committee to deny a sponsorship application by a medical marijuana dispensary. Why the committee would do something like that is curious, at least, and…

GLASTONBURY, CT — A Shoddy Mill Road man is accused of sending his three-year-old daughter to school with marijuana in her lunchbox, police said. On Aug. 17, Andre Lefrancois, 30, was arrested on a warrant for an incident that occurred on June 10 where a local daycare reported to police that “Lefrancois’s 3-year-old daughter was sent to school with marijuana in her lunchbox,” police said. He was found in East Haven and taken to the Glastonbury Police Department. He is scheduled to appear in Manchester court on Sept. 15. Find out what’s happening in Glastonbury with free, real-time updates from…

GOSHEN – Authorities in New York and Connecticut have arrested several people in connection with a long-term drug sale and possession operation. Dubbed “Operation Off the Brick,” the investigation involved the trafficking of cocaine in Orange County and Connecticut. Search warrants were executed at several locations in the Village of Otisville, the City of Middletown, Town of Blooming Grove and hamlet of Kerhonkson in Ulster County. Search warrants were also executed in Connecticut. Antonio Perez-Molina, 39, of Otisville, was arrested and charged with being a major drug trafficker as well as criminal sale of drugs, conspiracy and criminal possession of…

TRUMBULL — While retail sale of recreational marijuana is expected to begin in May of 2022, in Trumbull the wait may be a bit longer. The Planning & Zoning Commission unanimously passed a moratorium on cannabis sales in town during the commission’s Aug. 18 meeting. The one-year moratorium will expire on Sept. 1, 2022. Rob Librandi, the town planner, said the reasoning behind the moratorium was concern that the town would receive applications to build dispensaries without necessarily knowing what the best practices would be. “A moratorium will give us that time to see what may be suitable for the…

There was plenty of news across Connecticut on Friday. If you missed any of it on your local Patch, here’s a roundup of some of the top stories. A man is facing charges after marijuana was found in a 3-year-old’s lunch box, according to a report.>>>Read More. The winning Powerball ticket was also sold in town, according to the Connecticut Lottery.>>>Read More. After suffering from epilepsy as a child, rising high school senior Rachael Roizer hopes to help others like her.>>>Read More. Vaccinations of CT residents 12-15 years of age crept up by two percentage points in the past week,…

@brianjohnsonBP SOUTHINGTON – Resident Stacey Dolan’s petition to force a referendum on marijuana dispensaries had to “re-launch” due to an issue with filing. As a result, she won’t be able to gather enough signatures for the issue to appear on this year’s ballot and she is aiming instead for 2022. Dolan said she had to “revitalize” the petition due to a “process issue” which rendered the first round of signatures she collected in early July “deficient.” Dolan started a new petition July 20 and will have until Jan. 20 next year to collect the required 3,146 signatures for the referendum…

Berkshire County, Mass. Rebelle, Great Barrington Rebelle, a dispensary in a 100-year-old farmhouse, promises to elevate the cannabis experience, with “no more windowless rooms, no more waiting in line, no more hospital vibes.”  Products: Flower, edibles, vapes, cannabis beverages, prerolls, concentrates, PAX pods, tinctures, topicalsPre-order: YesHours: Sunday to Wednesday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Thursday to Saturday, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. 783 South Main Street, 413-258-3958, letsrebelle.com. The Pass, Sheffield The Pass, a dispensary located in a modern barn, is “grounded by the area’s guiding principles of human and agricultural wellness,” according to its website. Products: Flower, pre-rolls, vaporizers,…

Legislation that legalized recreational marijuana in Connecticut beginning July 1, also includes a provision that any city or town with a population of more than 50,000 must “designate a place in the municipality in which public consumption of cannabis is permitted.”  19 municipalities across Connecticut fit that requirement, and leaders of all of those cities and towns are currently navigating how best to implement the law at the local level. For Mayor Ellen Zoppo-Sassu of Bristol, the question is not necessarily designating a specific area for smoking, but rather, figuring out whether Bristol will place any limits on the public…