Connecticut

Connecticut’s medical marijuana act became law after passing the legislature in May 2012. House Bill 5389 – Palliative Use of Marijuana Act -- permits those with qualifying conditions to possess a one-month supply, the exact amount has yet to be determined.

Patients must be at least 18 years old and those who are incarcerated do not qualify, regardless of medical condition. Medical conditions for which marijuana is approved include cancer, glaucoma, HIV/AIDS, Parkinson’s, Crohn’s, posttraumatic stress disorder, and multiple sclerosis. Connecticut lists just 11 conditions for which medical marijuana treatment is permitted, making it among the most restrictive states.

The law also does not permit patients to grow their own marijuana.

Patients are required to register with the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection prior to using marijuana for medical purposes.

While details of the law were still be worked out at the start of 2013, lawmakers developed a nearly 100-page draft regulatory scheme befitting a state bureaucracy. Under the proposals, pills, baked goods and oils containing marijuana were slated to be available to patients by the end of 2013.

The plan addresses physician requirements, restrictions and disciplinary action; patient and caregiver regulations; dispensary application and registration requirements; labeling and advertising requirements; and transportation and security procedures.

HB5389 allows patients or caregivers to obtain medical marijuana from dispensaries, which obtain it from a licensed provider. Licensed providers will pay an application fee of at least $25,000 (the proposal also calls for a $75,000 licensing fee and $2 million in escrow). Only licensed pharmacists will be permitted to file for a dispensary license. Following passage of the law, the Connecticut legislature moved to decriminalize possession of less than half an ounce of marijuana, reducing penalties for a first offense from a year in jail and a $1,000 fine to a $150 civil fine with no jail time. Anyone under 21 also faces a 60-day suspension of their driver’s license.

By treating medical marijuana as a pharmaceutical, Connecticut hopes to avoid some of the problems with dispensaries being experienced by communities in California and Colorado. Each product must also be assigned a brand name, which must be registered with the state along with a list of active ingredients.

While state lawmakers have worked to relax marijuana laws, the same cannot be said for the federal government. While our Los Angeles medical marijuana lawyers have seen the most action in Southern California, we know federal authorities continue to use the Internal Revenue Service and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to crackdown on medical marijuana operations operating legally under state law.

In fact, since 2009 the Justice Department has raided more than 170 medical marijuana operations in nine states where it’s been approved, resulting in more than 60 federal indictments, according to Americans for Safe Access.

State lists rules for using medical pot, ctpost.com, Jan. 15, 2013.

Medical Marijuana states add number 17, Connecticut, Huffington Post, June 1, 2012.

Connecticut passes medical marijuana bill, USAToday, May 5, 2012.