Public Comment Is Back at the Social Equity Council, After the Session Already Changed the Market

CT CannaTimes Staff - 5.14.2026

The Connecticut legislative session may be over, but the decisions made this year are going to shape the state’s cannabis market for years and now the Social Equity Council is once again allowing public comment at meetings.

That matters because 2026 was one of the biggest cannabis-policy years Connecticut has seen since legalization.

House Bill 5350 — the massive cannabis and hemp overhaul bill — passed the legislature and was transmitted to Governor Lamont in May.

The bill makes sweeping changes to:

• • THC limits,
• • infused beverages,
• • cannabis concentrates,
• • packaging rules,
• • testing regulations,
• • out-of-state patient access,
• • social equity oversight,
• • and ownership-transfer rules.

The legislation also:

* removes potency limits on cannabis concentrates and flower,

• allows edible cannabis products to exceed 5mg THC in certain situations,

* authorizes ionizing-radiation remediation for cannabis flower,

* creates new commercial extractor licenses,

* and expands infused-beverage sales pathways.

At the same time, major debate erupted over transparency, ownership control, and social equity protections.

During Social Equity Council discussions this spring, members openly debated whether Connecticut should reduce required Social Equity ownership periods from seven years down to three years.

Attorney Mariedy Collazo warned that many contracts already contain provisions allowing financial backers to automatically buy out Social Equity owners if laws change — raising concerns that Social Equity participants could gradually disappear from the industry entirely.

The SEC also discussed:

* market instability,

* financial pressure on operators,

* and maintaining community reinvestment goals.

Meanwhile, HB 5350 itself sparked controversy after lawmakers removed proposed public-record transparency language related to cannabis ownership changes.

Now, for the first time in a long time, the public once again has a direct opportunity to weigh in.

According to official SEC meeting minutes from April 7, 2026, the Council voted to reintegrate public comment into meetings as a pilot program running through the end of 2026.

The Council specifically discussed:

• • transparency,
• • accountability,
• • public engagement,

* and registration procedures for participation.

If Connecticut consumers, patients, entrepreneurs, workers, caregivers, and advocates want influence over:

• • cannabis ownership rules,
• • social equity policy,
• • market access,
• • licensing,
• • testing,
• • taxation,
• • product regulation,
• • or consumer protections,

this is one of the few remaining places to get your concerns formally placed on the public record.

The legislative session may be over.

But the regulatory fights are far from finished.