Connecticut
Connecticut Officials Create New Office To Regulate Medical And Adult-Use Marijuana
“From my viewpoint, this is a positive development both for the state and the cannabis industry in Connecticut.”
The Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection is removing oversight and enforcement of the marijuana industry from the agency’s Drug Control Division less than a month after state officials apologized for what appeared to be a retaliatory inspection at a cannabis cultivation facility.
The licensing, regulatory and inspection functions for the industry will be shifted to a separate division within the Department of Consumer Protection (DCP), the agency announced on Wednesday. Lila McKinley, a DCP attorney who has been involved in developing the regulations for Connecticut’s adult-use cannabis market, will lead that new arm of the agency.
The regulatory shift was being developed before state officials were forced to apologize for the inspection incident at cultivation facility in Portland, but its implementation was accelerated as a result, a department spokesperson said.
DCP officials sent an email to all of the licensed cannabis operators in the state Wednesday morning informing them of the creation of the new regulatory office, which oversee both medical and recreational marijuana.
“For nearly a year, we have contemplated organizational changes that would allow for more specialized attention to your complex and growing industry,” the message to license holders said. “This change reflects your evolving industry as we are restructuring to better meet your regulatory needs.”
Bryan Cafferelli, the commissioner of consumer protection, said the way the state previously regulated the cannabis industry made sense when dispensaries were limited to selling medical marijuana. But he said the oversight functions needed to change now that Connecticut companies are selling tens of millions of dollars in recreational weed every month.
“Restructuring the Drug Control Division has been in the works for nearly a year, as we contemplated the best way to meet the growing needs and complexities of the cannabis industry while ensuring continued success in our regulation of the pharmaceutical industry in Connecticut,” Cafferelli said in a statement.
“Our agency is adapting to meet the needs of both industries and protect public health and safety,” he added.
Rep. Roland J. Lemar (D), the co-chair of the General Law Committee, said he welcomes the reorganization under McKinley, who has worked at DCP for more than a decade and most recently served as the legal program director for the Drug Control Division.
“From my viewpoint, this is a positive development both for the state and the cannabis industry in Connecticut. I think she has a great relationship with the industry. She knows it well as an attorney who has worked through a number of issues over the past few years,” Lemar said.
Rodrick J. Marriott, a pharmacist by training, will remain as director of DCP’s Drug Control Division, which will continue to regulate pharmacies and controlled-substance providers and manufacturers.
It was under Marriott’s leadership that state inspectors from the Drug Control Division conducted the unannounced visit at a cultivation facility owned by Affinity Grow last month.
DCP officials have declined to say who ordered that inspection, which took place a day after Rino Ferrarese, Affinity Grow’s chief executive, criticized the state’s testing protocols for recreational marijuana during a legislative hearing.
Cafferelli, the DCP commissioner, apologized for the incident the following day and made no attempt to suggest there was a legitimate reason for what he called an “unannounced compliance check.”
Some cannabis business owners in the state said they were not aware prior to Wednesday that DCP intended to shift regulatory oversight for their industry to a new division. But they believed the move would be positive for the state and their businesses.
Ben Zachs, an executive with Fine Fettle, which operates multiple dispensaries in the state, said shifting oversight to a division devoted solely to cannabis is a sign of the industry growing and maturing in Connecticut.
The number of cannabis companies in operation in Connecticut continues to grow, Zachs said, and the rate of that growth requires more focus on the part of state regulators.
“I think it’s good that cannabis will be treated as its own department,” he added. “The scale needs a different focus and prioritization.”
Zachs was complimentary of DCP’s management of the industry in past years, and he said he looks forward to working with McKinley, who he said is familiar to everyone in the state’s growing cannabis industry.
“We’ve worked with Lila for years now. I’ve always found her to be thoughtful and open-minded,” Zachs said.
Adam Wood, the founder of the Connecticut Cannabis Chamber of Commerce, also spoke highly of McKinley, who has represented the state within the Cannabis Regulators Association, a body made up of state agencies that oversee recreational marijuana markets.
“Lila is extremely well qualified and very knowledgeable here in Connecticut and beyond our borders,” he said.
Wood said shifting licensing and inspection to a dedicated cannabis office is taking place at an opportune time as companies continue to stand up new dispensaries and grow facilities.
“There is a lot of cultivation and new manufacturing just coming online,” Wood said.
This article first appeared on CT Mirror and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
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Photo courtesy of Chris Wallis // Side Pocket Images.
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HARTFORD, Conn. (WTNH) — Five Connecticut towns will collectively receive $10 million in grants for infrastructure upgrades, according to a Monday announcement by Gov. Ned Lamont.
The Connecticut Department of Housing (DOH) is awarding $10.7 million to Coventry, Guilford, Ledyard, Mansfield and Thomaston to modernize and rehabilitate housing for low- and moderate-income residents, the announcement said.
The funds are being released through the DOH’s Community Development Block Grant’s small cities program, with funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. To be eligible, a municipality must have fewer than 50,000 residents.
Cost Breakdown
Coventry: $2 million
Town of Coventry plans to use funds to upgrade, with a focus on making Orchard Hill Estates compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Guilford: $2 million
The Town of Guilford plans to use funds to design and build future affordable housing projects, consisting of up to 16 rental units and 8 homes.
Ledyard: $2 million
The Town of Canton requested funding for the first phase of affordable housing for people in Ledyard and the surrounding area. Habitat for Humanity of Eastern Connecticut is in the pre-development phase of the Colby Drive and plans to create 38 units.
Mansfield: $2.2 million
Funding will be used for upgrades to Wright’s Village, including roof replacements and sidewalk repairs.
Thomaston: $2.5 million
Funds will be used to make Green Manor ADA-compliant, including the installation of a new emergency call aid system.
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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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