Connecticut’s eighth medical marijuana dispensary opened in Milford despite concerns from residents about its location in a residential area, WTNH News 8 reports. The Southern Connecticut Wellness and Healing LLC dispensary is the first of two that will operate in the city.
Milford Mayor Benjamin Blake opposed the dispensary site when it was announced, saying it “should be moved to a location that is not in the middle of a residential neighborhood.”
According to the Department of Consumer Protection, nine of the 17 applications to operate dispensaries in the state were for locations in Milford. A second clinic is slated to open in the fall.
The state’s two-year-old medical marijuana program is growing. More than 12,000 patients have registered, up from the 1,200 that initially signed up in 2014. The growing patient roster means more demand, which means more dispensaries will certainly be needed. According to the Department of Consumer Affairs website, there are now just eight dispensaries currently in business in Connecticut.
“So the program is progressing which is good because it’s providing another alternative for people suffering from a limited number but very serious conditions whether it’s cancer, AIDS, ALS, those are serious diseases,” Jonathan Harris, Commissioner of Consumer Protection, said in the report.
In addition to Milford, Connecticut has dispensaries in Waterbury, Hartford, Bristol, Uncasville, Branford and South Windsor.