The city's first and only licensed cannabis retailer, at 90 Pershing Drive
Our store is in the former Italian Pavilion building at 90 Pershing Drive. The Valley Independent Sentinel reported that our grand opening was scheduled for January 25, 2025, and its headline called us Derby's first cannabis shop. The same paper reported in 2024 that Derby planning and zoning limited the city to one cannabis retailer, and that retailer is Hi! People.
Three ways to shop with us, side by side
Start on the Derby live menu for the first two options, and come through the front door for the third.
| Order ahead, pick up in store | Scheduled delivery | Walk in and use the Bud Bar | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where it starts | The live menu, where our online ordering is open 24/7 | The live menu, with your address entered at checkout | The showroom, with no appointment needed to sit down with a budtender |
| Timing | Your order waits for you at the counter | Pick an open delivery slot at checkout | Any time the store is open |
| Where you pay | Cash or debit at the counter | Cash or debit at the door | Cash or debit at the counter |
| Who it suits | Shoppers who already know what they want | Shoppers who would rather stay home | Shoppers who want to see and smell before buying |
Pickup works for any size of order, because in-store pickup has no minimum.
Delivery from this store covers the 14 towns our delivery page lists, including Ansonia, Shelton and Seymour. Checkout shows the fee, the minimum and the open delivery slots for your address, and every delivery driver is a licensed employee of ours. Our guide to cannabis delivery in Connecticut covers the rest.
How the Bud Bar helps you choose a format
Our Bud Bar is a dedicated consultation area toward the back of the showroom, where you sit down one on one with a budtender, and it needs no appointment. It lets you view and smell cannabis strains before you buy.
In March 2025, the Hartford Business Journal reported that this was the state's first bud bar where customers can examine and smell products. In April 2025, NBC Connecticut reported that the store is the first in the state with a bud bar using U-shaped display cases. The products on display stay in plastic containers and are locked in secure storage each night, the Business Journal noted.
That visit is a good time to settle on a format. Here is what to compare, and you can browse every aisle from the shop:
- Flower. Flower listings on the live menu show THC and, for most strains, terpenes. Smell a strain at the bar, then compare those numbers in the flower aisle, and use our indica, sativa and hybrid explainer for the strain labels.
- Pre-rolls. Pre-rolls come ready to light, and our infused versus regular pre-roll comparison explains what infusion adds.
- Vapes. Before you browse vapes, our cartridge versus disposable guide lays out the tradeoffs.
- Edibles. Edibles are eaten rather than inhaled, so read how long edibles take to kick in before your first order.
For more on how a visit goes, read what to expect at our Bud Bar.
Finding the store from Route 8 and around town
Coming north on Route 8, take exit 13A, the ramp signed for Pershing Drive and Ansonia. Heading south, the Pershing Drive interchange is an entrance only, so leave Route 8 at another exit and let your map app guide you in.
Mileage based exit number signs went up on Route 8 starting July 8, 2024, as the Connecticut DOT renumbering advisory explains. This ramp carried a different number before then, so trust the Pershing Drive sign over directions written earlier. Our Route 8 corridor page covers the towns along the highway.
Check the live menu first, then set your directions for 90 Pershing Dr, Derby, CT 06418.
Who works the counter
Justin Sheridan and Greg Janerico were named co-managers ahead of our January 2025 opening, and Justin was general manager when the Hartford Business Journal covered the Bud Bar that March. On the floor, hosts with iPads help you browse the menu and place an order.
We are locally owned and built by Connecticut people, and we prioritize products from licensed Connecticut cultivators and processors. Meet more of the team behind Hi! People or read our about page.
Payment and parking at the store
We take cash and debit cards, and credit cards cannot be used, so use the on-site ATM if you need cash.
Parking is free and on site, and the Valley Independent Sentinel reported that the store is about 3,000 square feet with 90 parking spaces.
We are open 7 days a week. For anything the menu does not answer, call us at 860-420-BUDS (2837).
Questions shoppers ask about shopping in Derby
Who can shop at Hi! People Derby?
Adults 21 and older can shop here. Our first visit guide covers a first trip to a Connecticut cannabis store.
Is there another Hi! People store?
Yes. Our second store is at 306 Market Street in Hartford, under retailer license ACRE.0015685, and a New Haven store planned for 1041 State St is coming soon. Both open stores appear on our locations page.
Where are current deals listed?
Current deals are on our deals page and the live menu rather than on this page, because they change. More answers are on our FAQ page.
