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July 22, 2021

Lamont names 5 members to marijuana industry’s Social Equity Council

HBJ Photo | Sean Teehan Gov. Ned Lamont attends the recreational marijuana bill-signing ceremony.
By Sean Teehan

Gov. Ned Lamont on Thursday announced five members of the 15-member Social Equity Council, which will play a key oversight role in licensing adult-use cannabis companies in Connecticut.

In a statement, Lamont said Connecticut Office of Workforce Strategies Executive Director Kelli Vallieres, Department of Consumer Protection Interim Deputy Commissioner Andrea Comer, Department of Economic & Community Development Commissioner David Lehman,  Office of Policy & Management Secretary Melissa McCaw and  Joseph Williams, an international trade specialist for the Connecticut Small Business Development Center at UConn, will serve on the SEC.

"The carefully selected and well-qualified Social Equity Council will play an important role as Connecticut’s cannabis marketplace… [and] will support a new equitable sector of our economy," Lamont said.

Formation of the SEC is behind schedule, as the statute that legalized adult-use cannabis in Connecticut mandated the full panel to be formed within 30 days of the law's passage, which was July 21. 

According to the legalization law, the full SEC must include:

  • One appointed by the speaker of the House of Representatives, who has a professional background of not less than five years working in the field of either social justice or civil rights.
  • One appointed by the president pro tempore of the Senate, who has a professional background of not less than five years working in the field of either social justice or civil rights.
  • One appointed by the majority leader of the House of Representatives, who has a professional background of not less than five years working in the field of economic development to help minority owned businesses.
  • One appointed by the majority leader of the Senate, who has a professional background of not less than five years in providing access to capital to minorities.
  • One appointed by the minority leader of the House of Representatives, who is from a community that has been disproportionately harmed by cannabis prohibition and enforcement.
  • One appointed by the minority leader of the Senate, who has a professional background of not less than five years in providing access to capital to minorities.
  • One appointed by the chairperson of the Black and Puerto Rican Caucus of the General Assembly.
  • Four appointed by the Governor, one who is from a community that has been disproportionately harmed by cannabis prohibition and enforcement, one who has a professional background of not less than five years working in the field of economic development and one who is an executive branch official focused on workforce development.
  • The Commissioner of Consumer Protection, or the commissioner's designee.
  • The Commissioner of Economic and Community Development, or the commissioner's designee.
  • The State Treasurer, or the State Treasurer's designee.
  • The Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management, or the secretary's designee.

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