Tony Negron was the first in line to buy recreational marijuana in New Haven Tuesday, arriving at the door of Affinity Health and Wellness at 7 a.m. and waiting three hours for the opening.
He went in for an ID check, was asked for the name and the payment method and received the orders he had made online earlier. He spent around $70, a price he said was reasonable for two cannabis products.
“Coming out, buying weed legally, it’s amazing,” said Negron of East Haven. “It’s the rise of cannabis.”
Recreational cannabis retailers opened their doors in Connecticut Tuesday morning, less than two years after marijuana was decriminalized at the state level. Among area shops to open were Affinity on Whalley Avenue in the Elm City and RISE, formerly known as Bluepoint Wellness of Connecticut, in Branford.
“I’m here to be a part of history. I’m 40 years old and I never thought I would see weed being sold legally in Connecticut,” Negron said of his reason for being first in line. “It should have been around before because it’s pure, it’s natural.”
People stand in line at Affinity Health and Wellness on Whalley Avenue in New Haven before the opening time on the first day of recreational cannabis sales Tuesday.
Arnold Gold/Hearst Connecticut MediaRay Pantelena, Affinity’s owner, said the opening day was pre-order only, but if customers in line hadn’t placed any order, a staff member with an iPad would help.
Looking at the line of about 50 people in front of the store after the opening time, Pantelena said “thankfully, it’s not snowing or raining.”
Pantelena confirmed there hadn’t been any hiccups when it came to serving medical patients. His store features separate windows for recreational and medical customers, two for each.
Branford’s RISE on Main Street greeted customers Tuesday with live music and free doughnuts.
Anthony Georgiadis, president of Chicago-based Green Thumb Industries, which owns RISE, said about 50 employees both local and corporate were onsite during opening day.
“It seems like it’s been steady the entire morning,” he said. “We’ve done a few launches in other states and we’ve taken the learning of those and incorporated them here.”
Michael Brennan of Orange shows a container of pre-rolled cannabis cigarettes purchased at Affinity Health and Wellness in New Haven on the first day of recreational cannabis sales Tuesday.
Arnold Gold/Hearst Connecticut MediaDespite the proximity of the New Haven shop, Juan Ortiz of West Haven went to RISE because he said he did research on which of the first locations to open in the state might have the best options and prices. The whole process for him took about 5 minutes, he said.
Michael Brennan of Orange said he had a day off from work so he decided to wait in line for two hours in New Haven.
“I felt like it was time. It’s a paradigm shift coming, not politically or anything,” he said. “With the society shift with weed and marijuana, it’s going to be better for the community. I think it’s better than alcohol, honestly.”
Brennan bought pre-rolled cannabis cigarettes. He said he used to get cannabis products from out of state but having it locally makes his purchase easier and safer as he doesn’t have to drive far.
Traveling out of state “is a hardship for people,” Brennan said, “they really shouldn’t be as demonized as it is,” noting his concerns about minors’ access to marijuana.
“I didn’t smoke until I was in college and I have noticed people who began smoking a little bit earlier are not as articulate as other people,” he said. “But for adults who can vote and can serve in the military, they should be able to smoke.”
However, for Shianne Yocom of Branford, she said she would still prefer to go to Massachusetts for cannabis products despite having a retail store in town.
“It’s nice but they’re limited to a quarter of an ounce, but it’s more in Massachusetts, and cheaper, too,” Yocom said. “They tax you more, if you want to get more than 70 grams, you’d have to get back in line and you’ll get taxed again.”
Taxes for recreational cannabis are about 20 percent including the 6.35 percent regular sales tax. Of the 20 percent, 3 percent is also a local tax that goes to the city or town where the sale occurs. Ten percent to 15 percent of the tax is based on the THC content of the product.
Personal Care Specialist Nick Decio, left, fulfills a cannabis order for Justin Swanson of Branford at Rise in Branford on the first day of recreational cannabis sales Tuesday.
Arnold Gold/Hearst Connecticut MediaGeorgiadis said the recreational market just started Tuesday so he believes the pricing will come down over time.
“Since we’re building the business that already has medical in place, there was a decent supply chain that we were able to provide high quality products with great value to the customers,” Georgiadis said.
Buck Medley of West Haven said he used to be a cancer patient and marijuana has helped him with pain. He said he was like this was long overdue, but he was happy to see it finally legal.
“It relieved me and it made sleep better,” Medley said of how marijuana was beneficial to help during his fight with cancer.
Prior to the opening, New Haven officials voiced concerns about underage access, illegal aspects of marijuana, unlicensed sellers and health risks from high levels of consumption.
Madeline Gariglio, owner of a next-door pharmacy business, said the only concern she had was traffic and parking, but said police had been helpful. Four officers and a supervisor were on site at the city location to monitor traffic and activity.
“We’re just trying to navigate through the day as you can tell, but it’s exciting for them,” Gariglio said. “Hopefully, (the line) will eventually die down.”
Gariglio, as a pharmacist, said she likes the fact that people know it’s safe for both recreational and medical uses, given other types of drugs that are out there now.
“This is a good thing,” she said. “We’ll see how it goes in the next few weeks.”
