Where is the cannabis store in Derby CT?
Hi! People Cannabis Market is the city's only licensed cannabis store, as the Valley Independent Sentinel reported. The address is 90 Pershing Drive, Derby, CT 06418, just off the northbound Route 8 exit 13A ramp for Pershing Drive. Adults 21 and older can shop here, and we hold adult-use retailer license ACRE.0015686.
What are the Hi! People Derby hours?
Hi! People is open Monday to Thursday 9 AM to 9 PM, Friday 9 AM to 10 PM, Saturday 9 AM to 9 PM and Sunday 10 AM to 6 PM. We are open 7 days a week, and our online ordering is open 24/7, so a pickup order can go in at any hour.
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 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 | Pick up at the counter during store hours | Pick an open delivery slot at checkout | Any time the store is open |
| Payment | Cash or debit, with no credit cards | Cash or debit at the door | Cash or debit, with no credit cards |
| 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.
Scheduled delivery leaves from the Pershing Drive counter, and checkout confirms each address you enter. 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.
On 2025-03-27, the Hartford Business Journal reported that this was the state's first bud bar where customers can examine and smell products. On 2025-04-02, NBC Connecticut reported that the store is the first in the state with a bud bar using U-shaped display cases (the NBC Connecticut story). 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. As of October 7, 2026, every flower listing on the live menus showed THC and most showed 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 Drive.
Around town, from the highway to the Green
Route 8 provides a vital north-south link to major interstate highways 84 and 95. The stretch near the store is the Ansonia-Derby-Shelton Expressway portion between Constitution Boulevard in Shelton and Pershing Drive in Derby.
The city is the smallest city in the state of Connecticut. It covers 5.3 square miles and has 12,080 residents, and it is located in southwest Connecticut at the confluence of the Housatonic and Naugatuck Rivers.
CTDOT says the original Derby-Shelton station, built by the New Haven Railroad, remains in place. CTDOT's project page says that while the building is currently closed to the public, the platform continues to operate. A separate CTDOT notice says substitute bus service will replace all train service from July 20, 2026, through May 31, 2027. Construction began in May 2026, a new platform is due in November 2027, and the project will restore the vacant historic station building to provide indoor waiting space and add new bus bays to strengthen connections with local transit services.
The Sterling Opera House is at 112 Elizabeth Street, across from the Derby Green. The building was constructed in 1889 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places on November 8, 1968.
The Osborne Homestead Museum is in the Derby Neck section. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is operated as a museum by the State of Connecticut.
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).
Quick questions about a visit
Who can shop at the store?
Adults 21 and older can shop here, and you will need a valid government-issued photo ID that shows you are 21 or older. Our first visit guide covers what a first trip to a Connecticut cannabis store looks like, from ordering ahead to the counter.
What is the Bud Bar?
Our Bud Bar is a dedicated consultation area toward the back of the showroom, where you sit down one on one with a budtender. It lets you view and smell cannabis strains before you buy, and the Hartford Business Journal reported it as the state's first bud bar where customers can examine and smell products.
Does the store deliver?
Yes, scheduled delivery is available here, and checkout confirms the address you enter. Delivery from this store covers the 14 towns our delivery page lists. Pick an open delivery slot at checkout, and pay with cash or debit at the door. In-store pickup has no minimum.
What payment does the store take?
We take cash and debit cards, and credit cards cannot be used, so use the on-site ATM if you need cash. Delivery orders are paid with cash or debit at the door. Order ahead on the live menu, and bring cash or a debit card for pickup.
Is parking free at the store?
Yes, 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. The store sits just off the northbound Route 8 exit 13A ramp for Pershing Drive.
Is there a train station in town?
Yes, CTDOT's Derby-Shelton station is in the city. CTDOT says the building is currently closed to the public, and the project will restore the vacant historic station building to provide indoor waiting space. A separate CTDOT notice says substitute bus service will replace all train service from July 20, 2026, through May 31, 2027, so check before you plan a trip.
