Title:
Could this be the year for medical marijuana in Connecticut?
Message:
Yesterday, medical marijuana legislation received a hearing in the
Connecticut General Assembly’s Judiciary Committee. Marijuana policy reform
advocates and patients provided testimony in support of the bill — H.B. 5389 — sponsored by Rep. Penny Bacchiochi,
a tireless champion of medical marijuana.
This year’s bill addresses some concerns that legislators
have had with previous iterations of medical marijuana bills. For example, it proposes
a specific system for licensing medical marijuana producers in the state and
spells out a list of debilitating medical conditions required to be a
qualifying patient. However, as it is currently written, the bill would
require marijuana to be dispensed by licensed pharmacists. Given problems that
may arise due to federal law, the bill should be amended to allow for home
cultivation either by a patient or his or her caregiver. With such an
amendment, patients would have protection from arrest and access to their
medicine, in the event that pharmacists cannot or will not dispense marijuana.
Please
urge your legislators to support H.B. 5389, and ask them to amend the bill to
include home cultivation.
Thanks to A
Better Way Foundation (grantee of DPA), CT NORML, and other allies for leading
the effort in Connecticut!
