MERIDEN— A Connecticut company wants to open a cannabis transport business and THC-infused-beverage wholesale outlet in the city.

Charter Oak Logistics LLC said it is seeking amendments to the town’s zoning regulation to allow for both types of businesses. Current regulations do not include provisions for those two types of businesses.

The company’s petition noted that Public Act 25-166 enacted in June 2025, introduced two license types that are relevant.

One is cannabis transporter which modified the existing transporter license by expressly permitting licensed transporters to store, maintain, and handle cannabis at a fixed facility, provided they meet specified conditions, including closed, child-resistant packaging and real-time electronic tracking. 

According to the company, the provision materially expands the operational footprint of a transporter from a purely mobile function to one that includes a warehousing and distribution base of operations.

The other is infused beverage wholesaler,  which created a new license category authorizing the wholesale distribution of THC-infused beverages regulated under Connecticut general statutes.

The infused beverage wholesaler license fills a gap in Connecticut’s distribution chain for infused beverages, according to the company.

The company is proposing an amendment for cannabis transporters to include: the warehousing of finished cannabis goods for distribution; vehicle maintenance and dispatch operations; manifest record keeping; and compliance-related administration, all conducted within an enclosed, secure facility. The establishment would not include any retail sale of cannabis or cannabis products to the public.

It is also proposing an amendments that would add cannabis transporter and infused beverage wholesaler to the list of provisional exception uses in the C-1, C-2, and C-3 commercial districts and the M-1, M-2, M-3, and M-4 industrial district

Additional requirements would include: no product visibility from outside the warehouse; a minimum distance of 500 feet from the warehouse to the front door or playground of a K-12 school; that all warehoused cannabis products are stored in secured interior space and that no retail sale of cannabis to the public occurs; and that the transporter or wholesaler maintain a valid license at all times, with any suspension, revocation or expiration of that license being subject to immediate review by the zoning enforcement office.

The company also proposed an amendment that would allow the commissions to add a cap on the number of infused beverage wholesalers but did not propose a specific number.

Meriden Planning Director Megan Pilla said Thursday that the company’s petition will be heard April 8 at the planning commission meeting. The commission’s role is to determine whether the proposal is in line with the city’s plan of conservation and development and make a recommendation, she said.

Then the proposal will go to the town council, which will act in its capacity as the zoning commission for a final vote, Pilla said.