The Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection (DCP) announced Oct. 5 that it has opened the process for three cannabis product packager applicants to advance in the licensing process.

The Social Equity Council approved Charles W. Jackson, Bay Breeze Botanicals Inc. and Dutch LLC through the state’s Social Equity Lottery, and the applicants have been notified by the DCP that they can complete the next steps for licensure.

The three applications represent the maximum number of Social Equity Licenses available for the product packager license type in the first lottery round, according to the announcement, although additional licenses will be available in future lotteries.

The approved applicants must now submit additional information for the required background check and provisional license application, which the DCP will review. Qualifying applicants must then pay the required licensing fees and proceed with the next phase of licensure.

The remaining social equity applicants that were not selected in the Social Equity Lottery will be added to Connecticut’s General Lottery, which will be conducted by the UConn School of Pharmacy.

The DCP named 16 applicants approved for adult-use cannabis cultivation licenses in July, and lawsuits quickly followed to challenge the licensing process.

RELATED: 11 Lawsuits Challenging Connecticut’s Adult-Use Cannabis Licensing Process Consolidated as One

In response to the litigation, the Social Equity Council will allow five applicants to resubmit their applications to provide them another opportunity to win a license.

RELATED: Connecticut Progresses With Review Of Select Social Equity Applications

Meanwhile, the DCP selected six retail and two micro-cultivation applicants last month who can move forward in the next steps of the licensing process.