Conn. Gen. Stat. § 21a-425e: Infused beverage wholesalers. License and exception. Sales, assessment, recordkeeping and disclosure requirements. Inspection and inventory. Fine.

(a) The Department of Consumer Protection may issue or renew a license for a person to be an infused beverage wholesaler. No person, other than the holder of a wholesaler permit or a wholesaler permit for beer issued under section 30-17, may act as an infused beverage wholesaler or represent that such person is an infused beverage wholesaler unless such person has obtained an infused beverage wholesaler license from the department pursuant to this section. No infused beverage wholesaler shall distribute alcoholic liquor. A holder of a wholesaler permit or a wholesaler permit for beer issued under section 30-17 shall not be required to apply for or maintain an infused beverage wholesaler license in order to engage in the distribution of infused beverages as set forth in this section and this chapter.

(b) A person seeking an infused beverage wholesaler license under this section shall submit to the Department of Consumer Protection, in a form and manner prescribed by the Commissioner of Consumer Protection, a complete application. Each infused beverage wholesaler license issued pursuant to this section shall be valid for a period of one year, and shall be renewable for additional one-year periods upon submission of a renewal application in the manner set forth for an initial application under this subsection.

(c) The Department of Consumer Protection may issue an infused beverage wholesaler license to an applicant in accordance with subsection (b) of this section, provided (1) the owners of such applicant submit to, and provide to the department, a third-party local and national criminal background check pursuant to section 21a-421c, (2) the owners subject to such background check do not have any disqualifying convictions, as defined in section 21a-420, and (3) the facility to be operated as an infused beverage wholesaler facility is inspected by the department and satisfies the department's requirements pertaining to cleanliness and security.

(d) An infused beverage wholesaler shall only sell infused beverages to holders of package store permits issued under subsection (b) of section 30-20 and to retailers, hybrid retailers and dispensary facilities.

(e) An infused beverage wholesaler shall ensure that any infused beverage offered or sold by the infused beverage wholesaler shall not appeal to any person who is younger than twenty-one years of age, including, but not limited to, by virtue of the name or appearance of such infused beverage, or make any health claim.

(f) Each infused beverage wholesaler shall assess a fee of one dollar on each infused beverage container sold to the holder of a package store permit issued under subsection (b) of section 30-20 or to a retailer, hybrid retailer or dispensary facility. Such fee shall not be subject to any sales tax or treated as income pursuant to any provision of the general statutes. Beginning on October 1, 2025, and every six months thereafter, each infused beverage wholesaler shall remit payment to the Department of Consumer Protection for each infused beverage container sold during the preceding six-month period. The funds received by the department from infused beverage sales shall be deposited in the consumer protection enforcement account established in section 21a-8a for the purposes of (1) protecting public health and safety, (2) educating consumers and licensees, and (3) ensuring compliance with cannabis and liquor control laws.

(g) (1) Each infused beverage wholesaler shall maintain all records necessary to fully demonstrate business transactions related to infused beverages for a period covering the then current taxable year and the three taxable years immediately preceding such taxable year. Such records shall be maintained in an auditable format, and the infused beverage manufacturer, or any other person in charge or having custody of such records, shall make such records available to the department pursuant to subdivision (3) of this subsection.

(2) The Commissioner of Consumer Protection may require any infused beverage wholesaler to furnish such information as the commissioner deems necessary for the proper administration of this section and this chapter, and may require a third-party independent audit of any infused beverage wholesaler, the expense thereof to be paid by such infused beverage wholesaler.

(3) Upon request by the commissioner or any other enforcement agency or person authorized by this chapter, an infused beverage wholesaler, and any other person in charge or having custody of such records, shall make such records immediately available for inspection and copying by the commissioner or such other enforcement agency or person. The infused beverage wholesaler, or such other person, shall produce copies of such records to the commissioner or the commissioner's authorized representative not later than two business days after the commissioner or such representative requests such copies. Such records shall be provided to the commissioner or such representative in an electronic format, unless providing such records to the commissioner or such representative in an electronic format is commercially impractical.

(4) In complying with the provisions of this subsection, no person shall use any foreign language, code or symbol to designate any infused beverage or person.

(h) The Commissioner of Consumer Protection may, for the purposes of the supervision and enforcement of the provisions of this section and this chapter, enter any facility utilized or maintained by an infused beverage wholesaler and inspect and inventory all pertinent equipment, finished or unfinished materials, containers or labeling, and all other items in such place, including, but not limited to, records, files, financial data, sales data, shipping data, pricing data, employee data, research, papers, processes, controls and facilities.

(i) Any violation of the provisions of subsections (a) to (h), inclusive, of this section shall constitute sufficient cause for action by the Commissioner of Consumer Protection, including, but not limited to, the suspension, probation or revocation of a license, the placement of conditions on a license, the issuance of a fine in an amount not to exceed five thousand dollars per violation, the acceptance of an offer in compromise, the refusal to grant or renew an infused beverage wholesaler license issued pursuant to this section or any other action authorized by law. All information from inspections and investigations conducted by the Department of Consumer Protection related to administrative complaints or cases shall not be subject to disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act, as defined in section 1-200, except after the department has entered into a settlement agreement, or concluded its investigation or inspection as evidenced by case closure, provided nothing in this section shall prevent the department from sharing any information with another state or federal agency or law enforcement as such information relates to an investigation conducted for a suspected violation of applicable law.