In just seven days, Affinity Health and Wellness medical marijuana dispensary will become one of nine hybrid cannabis dispensaries in the state, selling products for general adult use.
“When the opportunity came up to become a hybrid and do both medical and adult use, it just seemed like a natural transition,” said Ray Pantalena, Affinity’s dispensary manager.
Ray Pantalena is a manager at Affinity and said the addition of adult-use sales just made sense.
“Other than the potency of the different categories, the products are the same, so it was an easy transition,” said Ray Pantalena.
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Not only does it make sense, but he also says they’re expecting to make more dollars. Pantalena says they’ve renovated the lobby to serve both medical and adult-use customers.
Since they started as a medical marijuana dispensary, they want to keep a focus on those customers.
“We had to be very thoughtful to maintain the medical program, make sure the medical patients did not get lost in the process with the adult use,” Pantalena said. “So, there will be special check-ins for them, they’ll be expedited, they have special check-out registers.”
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The move will allow them to tap into an industry that’s estimated to bring in $73 million in state revenue by 2026.
“We can look at our neighboring state of Massachusetts and see a revenue growth of $157 million,” said Brian Marks, a senior lecturer in economics and business at the University of New Haven’s Pompea College of Business.
Since Connecticut is late joining the cannabis industry, the state may not see revenues quite as high, but this year can be an indicator of what’s to come. He adds it will also have a ripple effect in the communities where stores are.
“As a result, more employment in a certain area means more economic activity in the area fosters more economic activity and growth,” Marks said.
It’s already begun at Affinity Health and Wellness, where Pantalena has increased both inventory and staffing.
“To handle the extra check-ins, the registers, the security outside, workflow inside, we’ve hired about 20 new people, and hopefully that’s enough,” Pantalena said.
