SB 970 — AN ACT CONCERNING CANNABINOIDS, HEMP AND HEMP PRODUCTS.

605970 10chapter sSB970420f, Fileor No.to any producer, cultivator, micro-cultivator or product manufacturer, as such terms are defined in section 21a-420;

605 chapter 420f, or to any producer, cultivator, micro-cultivator or product manufacturer, as such terms are defined in section 21a-420;

[(21)] (22) "Pre-harvest sample" means a composite, representative sSB970LCO /11 Fileof 24 Substitute Bill No.

605970 11portion sSB970from Fileplants No.in a hemp lot, that is collected in accordance with the procedures established by the commissioner;

605 portion from plants in a hemp lot, that is collected in accordance with the procedures established by the commissioner;

sSB970LCO /12 Fileof 24 Substitute Bill No.

605970 12[(31)] sSB970(32) File"Producer" No.means an individual or entity licensed by the commissioner to produce and market producer hemp products pursuant to the federal act, the state plan, the provisions of this section and the regulations adopted pursuant to this section;

605 [(31)] (32) "Producer" means an individual or entity licensed by the commissioner to produce and market producer hemp products pursuant to the federal act, the state plan, the provisions of this section and the regulations adopted pursuant to this section;

(i) (1) Each manufacturer shall follow the protocol in this subsection for disposing of cannabis in the event that any [hemp or] manufacturer hemp product is deemed to exceed the prescribed THC concentration, as determined by the Commissioner of Consumer Protection, or a manufacturerLCO licensee13 in possession of hemp24 orSubstitute hempBill products who sSB970 / File No.

605970 13manufacturer sSB970licensee Filein No.possession of hemp or hemp products who desires to dispose of obsolete, misbranded, excess or otherwise undesired product.

605 desires to dispose of obsolete, misbranded, excess or otherwise undesired product.

High-THC hemp products and naturally manufactured hemp cannabinoids may be sold at wholesale by hemp manufacturers located in this state directly to dispensaries, producers,LCO cultivators,14 micro-cultivatorsof and24 productSubstitute manufacturersBill thatNo. are licensed in this state.

sSB970970 /producers, Filecultivators, No.micro-cultivators and product manufacturers that are licensed in this state.

605(j) 14The sSB970manufacturer Fileor No.manufacturer's authorized designee disposing of the hemp or hemp products shall maintain and make available to the Commissioner of Consumer Protection a record of each such disposal or destruction of product indicating:

605 (j) The manufacturer or manufacturer's authorized designee disposing of the hemp or hemp products shall maintain and make available to the Commissioner of Consumer Protection a record of each such disposal or destruction of product indicating:

(l) Once a [batch of hemp, intended to be sold as a] manufacturer hempproduct[,]hasbeenhomogenizedforsampletestingandeventual packagingLCO and15 sale,of until24 suchSubstitute timeBill as the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, licensed hemp grower or independent testing laboratory provides the results from its tests and analysis, the sSB970 / File No.

605970 15packaging sSB970and Filesale, No.until such time as the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, licensed hemp grower or independent testing laboratory provides the results from its tests and analysis, the manufacturer shall segregate and withhold from [use] sale the entire batch[ofhempthatisintendedforuseasamanufacturerhempproduct] of such manufacturer hemp product, except the samples that have been removed by the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, licensed hemp grower or independent testing laboratory for testing.

605 manufacturer shall segregate and withhold from [use] sale the entire batch[ofhempthatisintendedforuseasamanufacturerhempproduct] of such manufacturer hemp product, except the samples that have been removed by the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, licensed hemp grower or independent testing laboratory for testing.

(n) If a sample does not pass the microbiological, mycotoxin, heavy metalLCO or16 pesticide chemical residue test, based on the laboratory testing standards established in policies, procedures and regulations adopted by the Commissioner of Consumer24 ProtectionSubstitute pursuantBill toNo. section 21a- 421j, the manufacturer licensee who sent such batch for testing shall:

sSB970970 /metal Fileor No.pesticide chemical residue test, based on the laboratory testing standards established in policies, procedures and regulations adopted by the Commissioner of Consumer Protection pursuant to section 21a- 421j, the manufacturer licensee who sent such batch for testing shall:

605(1) 16Retest sSB970and Filereanalyze No.the manufacturer hemp product from which the sample was taken by having an employee from the same laboratory randomly select another sample from the same manufacturer hemp product batch.

605 (1) Retest and reanalyze the manufacturer hemp product from which the sample was taken by having an employee from the same laboratory randomly select another sample from the same manufacturer hemp product batch.

(o)LCO If17 aof sample24 passesSubstitute theBill microbiological, mycotoxin, heavy metal and pesticide chemical residue test, the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, licensed hemp grower or independent testing laboratory shall release the entire batch for [manufacturing, processing sSB970 / File No.

605970 17(o) sSB970If Filea No.sample passes the microbiological, mycotoxin, heavy metal and pesticide chemical residue test, the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, licensed hemp grower or independent testing laboratory shall release the entire batch for [manufacturing, processing or] sale.

605 or] sale.

(s) Any claim of health impacts, medical effects or physical or mental benefitsLCO shall18 be prohibited on any advertising for, labeling of or24 marketingSubstitute ofBill manufacturer hemp products regardless of whether such manufacturer hemp products were manufactured in this state or another jurisdiction.Any violationofthissubsectionshall bedeemedan unfair or deceptive trade practice under subsection (a) of section 42- sSB970 / File No.

605970 18benefits sSB970shall Filebe No.prohibited on any advertising for, labeling of or marketing of manufacturer hemp products regardless of whether such manufacturer hemp products were manufactured in this state or another jurisdiction.Any violationofthissubsectionshall bedeemedan unfair or deceptive trade practice under subsection (a) of section 42- 110b.

605 110b.

(v)LCO No19 manufacturerof hemp24 productSubstitute offeredBill forNo. sale in this state, or to a consumer in this state, shall contain any synthetic cannabinoid, as defined in section 21a-240, as amended by this act.

(w)970 (v) No manufacturer hemp product offered for sale in this state, or to a consumer in this state, shall becontain packaged,any presentedsynthetic orcannabinoid, advertisedas sSB970defined /in Filesection No.21a-240, as amended by this act.

605(w) 19No sSB970manufacturer Filehemp No.product offered for sale in this state, or to a consumer in this state, shall be packaged, presented or advertised in a manner that is likely to mislead a consumer by incorporating any statement, brand, design, representation, picture, illustration or other depiction that:

605 in a manner that is likely to mislead a consumer by incorporating any statement, brand, design, representation, picture, illustration or other depiction that:

and (D) The concentration of cannabinoids present in such product, including, but not limited to, total THC and any cannabinoids or active ingredientsLCO comprising20 atof least24 oneSubstitute perBill centNo. of such product;

970 ingredients comprising at least one per cent of such product;

(A) [Children, or those] Those who are pregnant or breastfeeding [,] sSB970should /avoid Fileusing No.such product prior to consulting with a health care professional concerning such product's safety;

605 20 sSB970 File No.

605 should avoid using such product prior to consulting with a health care professional concerning such product's safety;

and (D) The concentration of cannabinoids present in such batch, including,butnotlimitedto,totalTHCandanymarketedcannabinoids;LCO 21 of 24 Substitute Bill No.

970 including,butnotlimitedto,totalTHCandanymarketedcannabinoids;

"THE FDA HAS NOT EVALUATED THIS PRODUCT FOR SAFETY sSB970OR /EFFICACY.". File No.

605 21 sSB970 File No.

605 OR EFFICACY.".

A producer, cultivator, micro-cultivator and product manufacturer that obtains hemp and hemp products shall only obtain suchhempandhempproductsfromapersonauthorizedunderthelaws ofLCO this22 state [or another state, territory or possession of the24 UnitedSubstitute StatesBill orNo. another sovereign entity] to possess and sell such hemp and hemp products.

(c)970 Hemp,of [or]this manufacturerstate hemp[or productsanother andstate, naturallyterritory manufacturedor hemppossession cannabinoids,of asthe definedUnited inStates sectionor 21a-240,another assovereign amendedentity] byto thispossess act,and purchasedsell bysuch ahemp dispensary,and producer,hemp cultivator,products. sSB970 / File No.

605(c) 22Hemp, sSB970[or] Filemanufacturer No.hemp products and naturally manufactured hemp cannabinoids, as defined in section 21a-240, as amended by this act, purchased by a dispensary, producer, cultivator, micro-cultivator, product manufacturer or food and beverage manufacturer from a third party shall be tracked as a separate batch throughout the manufacturing process in order to document the disposition of such hemp, [or] manufacturer hemp products or cannabinoids.

605 micro-cultivator, product manufacturer or food and beverage manufacturer from a third party shall be tracked as a separate batch throughout the manufacturing process in order to document the disposition of such hemp, [or] manufacturer hemp products or cannabinoids.

any medication prepared to be used inLCO the23 eyes,of ears24 orSubstitute nose;Bill No.

970 in the eyes, ears or nose;

As used sSB970in /this Filesubparagraph, No."cannabis" has the same meaning as provided in section 21a-420 and "cannabinoids" means naturally manufactured hempcannabinoidsorsyntheticcannabinoids,assuchtermsaredefined in section 21a-240, as amended by this act.

605 23 sSB970 File No.

605 in this subparagraph, "cannabis" has the same meaning as provided in section 21a-420 and "cannabinoids" means naturally manufactured hempcannabinoidsorsyntheticcannabinoids,assuchtermsaredefined in section 21a-240, as amended by this act.

5 July 1, 2025 12-412(120) StatementGL ofJoint LegislativeFavorable Commissioners:Subst.

In-LCO SectionAPP 3(t),Joint "theFavorable provisionsLCO of"24 wasof added24 before "section 11-4a" for consistency with standard drafting conventions.

GL Joint Favorable Subst.

-LCO sSB970 / File No.

605 24 sSB970 File No.

605 The following Fiscal Impact Statement and Bill Analysis are prepared for the benefit of the members of the General Assembly, solely for purposes of information, summarization and explanation and do not represent the intent of the General Assembly or either chamber thereof for any purpose.

In general, fiscal impacts are based upon a variety of informational sources, including the analyst’s professional knowledge.

Whenever applicable, agency data is consulted as part of the analysis, however final products do not necessarily reflect an assessment from any specific department.

OFA Fiscal Note State Impact:

Agency Affected Fund-Effect FY 26 $ FY 27 $ Consumer Protection, Dept.

GF - Cost 329,000 322,000 Department of Agriculture GF - Cost 256,554 106,554 State Comptroller - Fringe GF - Cost 167,966 167,966 Benefits1 Department of Revenue Services Various - Potential Potential Revenue Gain Note:

GF=General Fund;

Various=Various Municipal Impact:

None Explanation The bill makes various changes regarding cannabinoids, hemp, and hemp products resulting in the costs and revenue gains described below.

Costs:

The bill results in a cost of $299,932 in FY 26 and an annual cost of $149,932 beginning in FY 27 to the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station (CAES).

The bill incorporates CAES into the testing process of various hemp products and requires CAES to report on the products it tests.

The CAES does not currently have the staff to complete the requirements contained within the bill and would require two new full- The fringe benefit costs for most state employees are budgeted centrally in accounts administered by the Comptroller.

The estimated active employee fringe benefit cost associated with most personnel changes is 40.71% of payroll in FY 26.

sSB970 / File No.

605 25 sSB970 File No.

605 time Agricultural Research Technicians with an annual salary of $53,277 and corresponding fringe benefits of $21,689, for an annual cost of $148,932.

Additionally, in FY 26 CAES would require $150,000 in laboratory equipment and supplies to complete the testing.

Thebillalsoexpandsonthemanufacturingandextractiontechniques allowable for cannabis products, expands the amount of high-THC hemp products, and allows out-of-state hemp products to be produced in the same facility as in-state products resulting in a cost to the state.

To meet therequirementsofthese sectionstheDepartment ofConsumer Protection (DCP) will need to hire three additional employees for a salary and other expenses cost of $329,000 in FY 26 and $322,000 in FY 27, along with annual associated fringe benefit costs of $124,588.

The new employees are needed to help conduct inspections which will become more complicated and time consuming due to the manufacturing of out-of-state products and the expansion of high-THC hemp products.

Revenue Gain:

The bill results in a potential revenue gain to the state by modifying the regulations regarding hemp products.

To the extent that the changes in this bill result in an increase in hemp sales in the state, there will be an increase in sales tax revenue from those sales.

Any increase will depend upon the demand for hemp products and not a shift in sales from other similar products.

The Out Years The annualized ongoing fiscal impact identified above would continue into the future subject to employee wage increases and inflation.

sSB970 / File No.

605 26 sSB970 File No.

605 OLR Bill Analysis sSB 970 AN ACT CONCERNING CANNABINOIDS, HEMP AND HEMP PRODUCTS.

SUMMARY This bill makes various changes to the hemp laws.

Primarily, it does the following:

1.

deregulates high-THC hemp products by declassifying them as marijuana or cannabis, as a result removing them from the various licensing and regulatory requirements for those items (e.g., that they must be sold only by licensed establishments, tested, and sold only to those age 21 or older except under the medical marijuana program);

2.

defines “naturally manufactured hemp cannabinoids” and requires manufacturer hemp products to be made from them;

3.

modifies various definitions, including “cannabis,” “marijuana,” and “synthetic cannabinoids”;

4.

limits unlicensed manufactured hemp product sales to low-THC hemp products;

and 5.

allows dispensaries and certain cannabis establishments to market or store naturally manufactured hemp cannabinoids and high-THC hemp products.

The bill also makes various minor, technical, and conforming changes.

EFFECTIVE DATE:

July 1, 2025 sSB970 / File No.

605 27 sSB970 File No.

605 §§ 1 & 5 — DEFINITIONS Cannabis and Marijuana (§ 1) Under existing law, the term “cannabis” has the same meaning as “marijuana” (CGS § 21a-420).

The bill narrows the statutory definition of “marijuana” and “cannabis” by removing from the definition (1) high-THC hemp products;

(2) manufactured cannabinoids;

(3) cannabinon, cannabinol, cannabidiol (CBD), and similar compounds, except CBD derived from hemp.

Under current law, marijuana and cannabis do not include, among other things, hemp with a total THC concentration of up to 0.3% on a dry-weight basis that is not a high-THC product.

The bill instead excludes from the definition hemp and manufacturer hemp products (i.e.

thoseintendedfor humaningestion,inhalation,absorption,or other internal consumption with a THC concentration of up to 0.3% on a dry weight basis).

The bill also excludes from the marijuana and cannabis definition, naturally manufactured hemp cannabinoids (see below), including moderate-THC hemp products and high-THC hemp products grown or manufactured by a hemp manufacturer licensee.

By law and under the bill, a “high-THC hemp product” is a manufacturer hemp product that has, or is advertised, labeled, or offered for sale as having, total THC that exceeds (1) one milligram per serving with up to five milligrams per-container or 0.3% on a dry- weight basis for cannabis flower or cannabis trim and (2) is not a THC- infused beverage.

Manufactured Cannabinoids and Naturally Manufactured Hemp Cannabinoids (§§ 1 & 5) The bill replaces the term “manufactured cannabinoids” with “naturally manufactured hemp cannabinoids,” which it defines as naturally occurring cannabinoids derived from hemp, including CBD, cannabigerol (CBG), cannabigerovarin (CBGV), cannabinol (CBN), cannabichromene (CBC), cannabimovone (CBM), cannabicyclol (CBL), sSB970 / File No.

605 28 sSB970 File No.

605 cannabidivarin (CBDV), THC, tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV), and these cannabinoids’ acidic forms, manufactured by (1) decarboxylation of naturally occurring acidic forms of cannabinoids using heat;

(2) solvent-based extraction methods, including ethanol and carbon dioxide supercritical extraction;

(3) solventless extraction methods, including using ice water, rosin pressing, dry sifting, and steam distillation;

or (4) lipid infusion extraction using carrier oils to extract cannabinoids through heat and infusion, whether in the form of an extract or a manufacturer hemp product manufactured by a licensed hemp individual or entity.

Synthetic Cannabinoid (§ 1) By law, synthetic cannabinoids are classified as a schedule I controlled substance (i.e.

a drug with no current accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse) and cannabis establishments are prohibited from selling them (CGS §§ 21a-243 & 21a-421aa(f)).

The bill redefines “synthetic cannabinoid” by specifying the types of processes used to create them and eliminating the requirements that they have specific structural features and produce any physiological or psychotropic response on at least one cannabinoid specific receptor.

Specifically, the bill defines “synthetic cannabinoid” as any cannabinoid produced through chemical synthesis, conversion, or isomerization of another cannabinoid or created without direct extraction, including delta-8-THC, THC-O-acetate, and hexahydrocannabinol (HHC) when produced by chemical conversion of CBD or other cannabinoid and fully synthetic compounds that do not exist naturally in the hemp plant.

It does not include any naturally manufactured hemp cannabinoid, any producer hemp product, or any manufacturer hemp product manufactured by a licensed hemp individual or entity.

Under current law, “synthetic cannabinoid” is any substance converted by a chemicalprocessto create acannabinoidor cannabinoid- like substance that has (1) structural features that allow interaction with sSB970 / File No.

605 29 sSB970 File No.

605 at least one of the known cannabinoid-specific receptors and (2) any physiological or psychotropic response on at least one cannabinoid specificreceptor.

It includeshexahydrocannabinol(HHCandHXC) and hydrox4phc (PHC) but does not include manufactured cannabinoids.

§§ 1-4 — HEMP PRODUCTS Low-THC (§§ 2 & 3) Under current law, any person who sells manufacturer hemp products is not required to be licensed if, among other requirements,the person only engages in retail or wholesale sale of manufacturer hemp products where no further manufacturing occurs, as long as the manufacturer hemp products are acquired from a person authorized to manufacture them.

The bill limits these sales to low-THC manufacturer hemp products (i.e.

those that have up to half a milligram total THC per container).

As under existing law, the seller must acquire the manufacturer hemp products for the sole purpose of reselling them as authorized under federal and state law.

High-THC (§§ 1, 3 & 4) The bill deregulates high-THC hemp products by declassifying them as marijuana or cannabis, as a result removing them from the various licensing and regulatory requirements for those items.

Out-of-State Sales.

The bill allows high-THC hemp products to be sold outside of the state by a hemp producer or manufacturer licensee if they have a THC concentration of less than 0.3% on a dry-weight basis and comply with the federal Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018.

Wholesale Sales.

The bill also allows high-THC hemp products and naturally manufactured hemp cannabinoids to be sold at wholesale by hemp manufacturers located in Connecticut directly to medical marijuana dispensaries and cannabis producers, cultivators, micro- cultivators, and product manufacturers licensed in the state.

It is unclear where or if high-THC hemp products may be sold at sSB970 / File No.

605 30 sSB970 File No.

605 retail in the state under the bill.

Current law treats them as cannabis and only allows them to be sold at retail at cannabis retailers and hybrid retailers.

Additionally, the bill limits unlicensed sales to low-THC manufacturer hemp products (see above) and does not establish a license or registration for these sales, like the law has for moderate-THC (i.e.

moderate-THC hemp product vendor registration).

Manufacturer Hemp Products (§§ 2-4) The bill modifies the definition of “manufacturer hemp product” by limiting it to a commodity manufactured from hemp and intended for retail sale to consumers, and requiring it to be made with naturally manufactured hemp cannabinoids (see above) with a full safety test from an independent laboratory (see below).

(The bill allows manufacturer hemp products to also be tested by the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station or a licensed hemp grower in another state (see below), but the definition here does not reflect those options.) As under current law, it must be for human ingestion, inhalation, absorption, or other internal consumption and must have a THC concentration of not more than 0.3% on a dry-weight basis.

The bill eliminates from current law’s definition that the hemp (1) is manufactured for commercial or research purposes and (2) has a THC concentration based on a per volume or weight basis.

Manufacture.

The bill also modifies the definition of “manufacture” by expanding the acceptable products and purposes and specifying particular methods.

Under current law, “manufacture”meansthe conversionofthehemp plant into a by-product by adding heat, solvents, or any extraction method that modifies the plant’s original composition to create a manufacture hemp product for commercial or research purposes.

The bill also includes in the definition the conversion of a hemp plant intoanextract,andspecifiesthemodificationprocessmust bedonewith one of the following:

sSB970 / File No.

605 31 sSB970 File No.

605 1.

decarboxylation of naturally occurring acidic forms of cannabinoids using heat;

2.

solvent-based extraction methods, including ethanol and carbon dioxide supercritical extraction;

3.

solventless extraction methods, including using ice water, rosin pressing, dry sifting, and steam distillation;

or 4.

lipid infusion extraction using carrier oils to extract cannabinoids through heat and infusion.

Additionally, for the last method, the bill modifies the allowable purposes, specifying that it must be for (1) creating a manufacturer hemp product for research purposes or (2) selling naturally manufactured hemp cannabinoids to any state-licensed dispensary facility or cannabis producer, cultivator, micro-cultivator, or product manufacturer.

Excessive THC Levels.

The bill narrows the application of current law’s requirements for hemp manufacturers with respect to disposing of cannabis when a product has excessive THC.

It applies this to just manufacturer hemp products, rather than all hemp and hemp products.

By law, “hemp products” are all manufacturer hemp and producer hemp products.

The bill also correspondingly requires the manufacturer of a manufacturer hemp product that exceeds the allowable THC concentration to embargo the product, label it adulterated, and have it destroyed.

The manufacturer also must notify both the Department of Consumer Protection (DCP) and the Department of Agriculture in writing of the adulterated product.

Packaging or Advertisements.

Current law prohibits manufacturer hemp products offered for sale in Connecticut, or to a Connecticut consumer, to be packaged, presented, or advertised in a way likely to mislead a consumer that the product (1) has a total THC concentration greater than 0.3% on a dry-weight basis, or (2) is a high-THC hemp sSB970 / File No.

605 32 sSB970 File No.

605 product.

The bill removes this restriction.

(But by definition, a manufacturer hemp product cannot have a THC concentration of more than 0.3% on a dry weight basis.) Product Labeling.

Existing law requires manufacturer hemp products that are a food, beverage, oil, or other product intended for human ingestion to have certain labels on the package.

Current law requires a clear and conspicuous statement disclosing that children or thosewhoarepregnantorbreastfeedingshouldavoidusing theproduct before consulting with a health care professional about the product’s safety.

The bill eliminates the requirement that the statement include reference to children.

Independent Testing Laboratory (§ 2) The bill removes the requirement that an independent testing laboratory comply with state medical marijuana regulations on laboratory requirements.

As under existing law, these laboratories must still be accredited as a testing laboratory under International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 17025 by a third-party accrediting body like the American Association for Laboratory Accreditation or the Assured Calibration and Laboratory Accreditation Select Services and meet the requirements under federal regulation for domestic hemp production (7 C.F.R.

§ 990.3).

Testing (§ 3) The bill gives a manufacturer more testing options for hemp it intends to manufacture into a manufacturer hemp product.

Under current law, a manufacturer must have the product tested by an independent testing laboratory in Connecticut.

The bill instead allows the product to have passed a:

1.

preharvest compliance test done by the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station (CAES) or an equivalent test by a licensed hemp grower in another state or 2.

full panel test done by an independent testing laboratory.

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605 The bill generally extends current law’s requirements for testing a batch of hemp to testing manufacturer hemp product.

This includes requirements for (1) segregating the product while the hemp samples are being tested (e.g., keeping the product in a secure, cool, and dry location);

(2) retesting the product if the sample failed the microbiological, mycotoxin, heavy metal, or pesticide chemical testing;

(3) remediating the product before it can be sold;

and (4) disposing of it if not remediated.

The bill makes various minor, technical, and conforming changes to incorporateCAESandlicensedhempgrowersinanotherstateintothese processes.

But it only requires CAES, and not licensed growers in another state, to:

1.

dispose of the hemp or manufacturer hemp ina DCP-determined way, 2.

file with DCP an electronic copy of each failed laboratory test, 3.

send these results to the manufacturer who requested the test, and 4.

keep the test results for three years and make them available to DCP upon request.

THC and CBD (§ 3) Under current law, CBD that is (1) found in manufacturer hemp products is not considered a controlled substance or legend (i.e.

prescription) drug and (2) derived from hemp and contained in manufacturer hemp products is not considered a controlled substance or adulterant.

The bill substitutes THC for CBD in this provision, and also prohibits THC derived from hemp and contained in naturally manufactured hemp cannabinoids from being considered a controlled substance or adulterant.

§ 4 ― CERTAIN CANNABIS ESTABLISHMENTS AND HEMP Current law allows any producer, cultivator, micro-cultivator, and sSB970 / File No.

605 34 sSB970 File No.

605 product manufacturer to manufacture, market, cultivate, or store hemp and hemp products following existing hemp laws and regulations.

The bill (1) limits these establishments to only marketing or storing hemp (i.e.

they can no longer manufacture or cultivate hemp or hemp products);

(2) allows them to also market or store naturally manufactured hemp cannabinoids and high-THC hemp products (rather than all hemp products) from a state-licensed hemp manufacturer or producer, regardless of total THC content;

and (3) allows a dispensary to do these things as well.

The bill also requires a producer, cultivator, micro-cultivator, and product manufacturer to obtain hemp and hemp products only from someone authorized under Connecticut law to possess and sell them.

Under current law, they may also obtain the hemp and hemp products from someone authorized under the laws of another U.S.

state, territory, or possession or other sovereign entity.

(The bill does not make a corresponding change to allow dispensaries to obtain hemp and hemp products, so it is unclear where they would obtain these products.) Third-Party Tracking The bill imposes current law’s third-party tracking hemp requirements on manufacturer hemp products (presumably, including high-THC hemp products) and naturally manufactured hemp cannabinoids.

Current law requires a cannabis producer, cultivator, micro-cultivator, or product manufacturer to track these products as a separate batch throughout themanufacturing processto document their disposition.Thebillalsoappliesthisrequirement todispensaries.Under existing law, once a cannabis establishment receives the hemp or hemp product, the product is deemed cannabis.

(The bill does not extend that requirement to dispensaries.) Similar to current law, the bill requires these establishments, including a dispensary, to keep a copy of the certificate of analysis for a purchased manufacturer hemp product (presumably, including high- THC hemp products) and naturally manufactured hemp cannabinoids sSB970 / File No.

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605 and the invoice and transport documents to evidence the quantity purchased and date received.

BACKGROUND Related Bills sHB 6855, favorably reported by the General Law Committee, allows individuals or entities who are not a moderate-THC hemp product vendor or cannabis establishment to sell hemp flower under certain conditions (e.g., verify purchaser is at least age 21) and prohibits moderate-THC hemp products from claiming certain health benefits.

sHB 7178, favorably reported by the General Law Committee, also eliminates the requirement that the manufacturer hemp product disclosure include warnings directed at children.

HB 7181, favorably reported by the General Law Committee, makes it a class E felony for a cannabis establishment to sell synthetic cannabinoids to anyone (§ 15).

COMMITTEE ACTION General Law Committee Joint Favorable Yea 15 Nay 7 (03/24/2025) sSB970 / File No.

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