The Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection (DCP) will begin accepting applications for certain adult-use cannabis business licenses next month, according to a department press release.

The launch of the licensing process comes after the Social Equity Council’s final approval of technical assistance plans on Jan. 4.

“This work by the Social Equity Council is a critical step in the licensure process for the emerging adult-use cannabis market in Connecticut and will be instrumental in ensuring the equity goals established in the law are met,” DCP Commissioner Michelle H. Seagull said in a public statement.

DCP will start accepting applications for Disproportionately Impacted Area Cultivator and Retailer licenses Feb. 3. The department will then begin accepting licensing applications for Micro-cultivators Feb. 10, Delivery Services Feb. 17, Hybrid Retailers Feb. 24, Food and Beverage businesses March 3, Product Manufacturers March 10, Product Packagers March 17 and Transporters March 24.

The application period for each license type will remain open for 90 days.

An equal number of licenses will be available to social equity and general applicants. To qualify as a social equity applicant, at least 65% of the ownership or control of the business must be held by individuals who meet the income and residency requirements outlined in Connecticut’s adult-use cannabis law.

There will be 12 Retailer, four Micro-cultivator, 10 Delivery Service, four Hybrid Retailer, 10 Food and Beverage, six Product Packager, six Product Manufacturer and four Transporter licenses available in the first licensing round.

“The initial number of available licenses is not a cap, but a starting point for opening the adult-use cannabis market in an effective, measured and thoughtful way,” Seagull said. “We know people are anxious to apply and see this market open, and we are hopeful that making this information available will help applicants as they begin to prepare for the lottery process.”

Applications will be available here, and interested applicants can see a description of each license type here.

“We encourage applicants to be thorough, and complete their applications carefully and thoughtfully,” DCP Drug Control Director Rod Marriott said in a public statement. “Applications for most license types will be entered into a lottery. There is no advantage for applicants who submit their lottery applications first. Applicants should prioritize submitting the best application they can.”

Winning applications will be randomly selected through a lottery process, with DCP holding multiple lotteries on an ongoing basis. The department will hold two lotteries for each license type, a social equity lottery and a general lottery.