Connecticut
One state has a shortage of marijuana. Its neighbor had too much. What to do?
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Marijuana retailers in Connecticut say a dearth of licensed growers in the state’s fledgling legal pot industry has left them with a shortage of product to sell.
The supply problem has appeared after slow retail growth in neighboring New York last year left growers there struggling with the opposite: an excess of supply.
It would seem both problems could easily be solved by shipping product a few miles over state lines. But that would violate federal drug laws. So each state that legalizes marijuana is left with its own process for licensing growers and sellers, and trying to create a balance between the two within state borders.
Benjamin Zachs, the chief operating officer of Fine Fettle, which operates five dispensaries in Connecticut, said he worries that low supply in stores is leading some customers back to their former, illegal dealers, and across state lines where he cannot go to get product.
When recreational sales became legal in Connecticut in January 2023, he said, there were seven dispensaries in the state and four producers.
“Now we’re a year later and there are 26 open dispensaries and only one more producer, grower, cultivator,” Zachs said. “And that’s a micro-cultivator, so that’s only about 5,000 square feet of additional canopy.”
The Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection, which regulates the industry, said it appears there is a temporary problem as new licenses for growers make their way through the pipeline. Eleven cultivators and five microcultivators, who grow in smaller spaces, have received a provisional license and are moving toward final licensure, the department said.
“As a new agricultural industry, there are natural fluctuations in supply and demand,” said Kaitlyn Krasselt, a department spokesperson. “The limited variety was exacerbated by increased demand over the holiday season, from Thanksgiving to New Year’s. Retailers experienced heavy traffic in relation to the holidays, and the record sales in our December data supports that.”
New York, meanwhile, is emerging from the exact opposite problem it faced while gearing up its legal cannabis market.
Lawsuits and bureaucratic issues slowed the opening of state-licensed dispensaries to a crawl last year. That left the first wave of pot farmers unable to sell much of their fall 2022 harvests because there were too few stores to sell what they grew. With revenue from sales crimped, farmers struggled financially.
New York belatedly hastened the pace of retail openings, and the state listed 61 adult-use dispensaries open statewide Monday. Farmers say the crisis has eased some.
“In the last month it is better because more dispensaries are opening. So we’re beginning to see some momentum to relieve what has been extraordinarily painful,” said Gail Hepworth, who operates Hepworth Farms with her sister in the Hudson Valley.
A check of stores in New York and Connecticut this week found similar pricing, with 3.5 grams of flower selling in each state for between $50 and $75.
Still, the irony of two very different supply chain problems striking adjacent states is not lost on farmers.
“It’s just so unlike any other market, right? Because it has to all be siloed within one state,” said Brittany Carbone, co-founder of Tricolla Farms and a board member of the Cannabis Association of New York.
Retailers are wary that the expected increase in supply doesn’t lead to a glut in Connecticut, as it did just across the border, Zachs said.
“To me, while this is frustrating and annoying and difficult to address, this is a problem that is not unexpected,” he said. “What generally happens in states is that at first there is not enough supply, and then there is an oversupply, and that creates a total mess.”
Still, he’s wary of any push for a national law and standard, which he fears would lead to large corporations taking over the industry from smaller farms.
“States are rightfully focusing on entrepreneurs in areas impacted by the war on drugs — Black and brown communities,” he said. “Even the largest cannabis growers right now are startups, I would argue. And the story of the regular American family farm is a cautionary one, I would argue, when we look at solutions to this.”
___
Hill reported from Altamont, N.Y.
Connecticut
Florida High School State Bronze Medalist Dajah German Verbals To Connecticut For Fall 2027
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Florida high school state bronze medalist Dajah German has announced her verbal commitment to swim and study at the University of Connecticut beginning in the fall of 2027. She publicized the news on SwimCloud, writing:
I am so excited to announce my verbal commitment to continue my academic and athletic career at the University of Connecticut! I’m incredibly grateful for everyone who has supported me throughout this journey, my family, coaches, teammates, and friends who have pushed me to be my best throughout the years. And a very special thank you to Coach Chris and Coach Nicole for believing in me and giving me this opportunity. I’m so excited for what’s ahead. GO HUSKIES!
A rising senior at Fort Lauderdale High School in Florida, German trains year-round with Swim Fort Lauderdale and primarily specializes in the sprint and middle-distance freestyle events.
German has improved each year of her high school career, most recently dropping from 23.78, 51.39, and 1:50.56 in the 50/100/200 free to 23.54, 51.35, and 1:49.69 during the 2025-26 short course season.
German’s top meet of the season was the Florida Senior Championships in March, where she recorded her current PBs in both the 50 and 200 free. She finished second in the 500 free (4:55.94) and 1650 free (17:02.78), third in both the 50 free and 200 free, and fifth in the 100 free (51.43). She set her current 100 free PB at a smaller holiday meet in December. In the 500 free, she clocked a season-best 4:55.21 at the Speedo Cup in January, with her lifetime best of 4:53.19 coming at the 2025 Florida Senior Championships.
German has qualified for the FHSAA (Florida High School Athletic Association) State Championships for the past three years, with her top performance coming at the 2025 iteration in November. She placed third in the 50 free (23.96), fifth in the 500 free (5:01.12), and helped Fort Lauderdale to fourth place in both the 200 free relay (24.64 leadoff) and 400 free relay (53.08 anchor).
Top SCY Times:
- 50 Freestyle: 23.54
- 100 Freestyle: 51.35
- 200 Freestyle: 1:49.69
- 500 Freestyle: 4:53.19
A Division I Mid-Major program, Connecticut competes in the Big East, with the women’s team placing second out of seven teams at this past season’s conference championships. German’s current lifetime bests would have placed third in the 200 free, fourth in the 500 free, eighth in the 50 free, and ninth in the 100 free, setting her up as an immediate contributor with two full seasons of training still ahead before her first conference meet.
German joins Anna Mumford, Lyla Devlin, Lena Brown, and Louisa Holda in committing to the Huskies’ class of 2031 so far.
If you have a commitment to report, please send an email with a photo (landscape, or horizontal, looks best) and a quote to [email protected].
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Here are the forecast details for northern Connecticut via the National Weather Service:
Today: Sunny, with a high near 80. Light west wind increasing to 6 to 11 mph in the morning.
Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 56. Northwest wind around 6 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Monday: A chance of showers before 2pm, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms between 2pm and 4pm, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 4pm. Increasing clouds, with a high near 76. Calm wind becoming southeast around 6 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
Monday Night: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. Low around 59. Southeast wind around 8 mph becoming southwest after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New precipitation amounts between three quarters and one inch possible.
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