Hartford's First Retail Pot Operation Opens Wednesday

HARTFORD, CT — The city's Park Street area now has a new member to complement the popular Parkville Market — a new cannabis retailer selling the now-legal recreational commodity.

Located at 1396 Park St., "Higher Collective" was expected Wednesday to have a grand opening ceremony on Wednesday, Nov. 29, with a who's who of Hartford decision makers, movers and shakers expected to attend.

The grand opening event was slated from 1 to 5 p.m., with Connecticut Speaker of the House Matt Ritter, State Sen. Doug McCory, state Rep. Joshua Hall, Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin and Arunan Arulampalam, the city's mayor-elect, all expected.

Adults aged 21 and over are allowed inside the store and can purchase cannabis there.

Hartford's "Higher Collective" is the fourth such store in Connecticut and the first cannabis retailer in the city.

Other "Higher Collective" outlets are located in Killingly, New London and Willington.

"Higher Collective," while selling a recently legalized product, also markets itself as a haven for inclusivity and diversity.

"The Hartford location represents Higher Collective's commitment to providing an inclusive and
welcoming space for all individuals to explore and access high-quality cannabis products," wrote Higher Collective in an announcement.

The "Higher Collective" brand was founded by Patrik Jonsson.

"Higher Collective isn't just a store. It's a movement aimed at transforming the cannabis industry by creating a blueprint for entrepreneurial social equity applicants to succeed in a highly regulated
and ever-changing landscape," Jonsson said in a statement.

"Our Hartford location further strengthens our mission to offer a unique, welcoming environment for everyone to engage with cannabis and I am proud to have helped launch five social equity owned businesses this year.”

Higher Collective Hartford is open in the winter from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday
through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays.

Kevin Henry, is the owner of the Hartford site.

"As a proud, lifelong resident of Hartford, I see the chance to foster job opportunities for our community and beyond, all while contributing an extra 3 percent of revenue to our city," Henry said. "This, to me, is the epitome of a win-win scenario for our business and the vibrant Hartford
community we serve.”

Following the opening of Higher Collective Hartford, the company aims to expand in Connecticut.

For more information about Higher Collective, visit this link.