Permanent Pot Sales Rules Eyed In West Hartford

WEST HARTFORD, CT — Town officials have already committed to having legalized recreational cannabis operations in West Hartford, but the temporary ordinance allowing that is expiring.

As a result, the West Hartford Town Council is mulling a permanent "Ordinance Concerning Zoning Regulations for Cannabis Establishments," that would limit both the amount of operations in town and the distance between them.

In 2022, West Hartford approved a temporary ordinance allowing the establishments just before the start of legalized, adult retail sales of cannabis products in the state.

But that regulation is set to expire on June 30, with West Hartford officials last week officially unveiling a new draft ordinance that will be the town's permanent pot policy.

The plan is for the town to repeal the existing, temporary regulations and replace them with a modified, permanent set of cannabis rules.

Those new rules, according to a draft unveiled before the council on March 26, limit the amount of pot establishments in town to three. (West Hartford currently has two.)

In addition, the proposed ordinance mandates cannabis retailers not be within 5,000 feet of another marijuana retailer.

The new rules also carry specific methods to measure that distance to comply with the distance requirements from each other.

In addition, the proposal leaves it open for town officials to tweak retail cannabis rules as necessary, according to the draft.

Last week, the town council voted 9-0 to refer the draft to the West Hartford Plan & Zoning Commission, the Capital Regional Council for Government; the City of Hartford; the Town of Newington; and the Town of Farmington.

All of those entities will give West Hartford input on the proposed rules, with the council taking up the ordinance at a public hearing on May 14 at 7 p.m. at West Hartford Town Hall.

That's when the community can comment and the council could, upon closure of the hearing, officially decide the new pot regulations.

Council members did not comment much on the new cannabis ordinance on March 26, opting to quickly refer the new rules to those municipal and regional entities.

For the minutes of the March 26 West Hartford Town Council meeting, click on this link.

For the proposed new West Hartford cannabis retail ordinance, click on this link.

From Feb. 25: 'Another Cannabis Retail Store Opens In West Hartford'