The Department of Consumer Protection has drafted regulations that would add three medical conditions to the eleven already in place, that qualify patients in Connecticut to use medical marijuana. They include sickle cell disease, severe psoriasis, and chronic radiculopathy, a type of recurring back pain after surgery.
Commissioner Jonathan Harris said the approval process for medical conditions is rigorous, and "when you boil it down to its essence, the question is whether the palliative use of marijuana would alleviate the pain, alleviate the symptoms, complications or actually slow down the disease process."
Because pain symptoms are often treated with opiods, the marijuana program’s Board of Physicians also considers whether medical marijuana could help to reduce the use of opiods, which can be addictive.
There are currently four medical marijuana producers in Connecticut. Six dispensary facilities serve more than 2,600 patients who are registered for the use of medical marijuana in the state.
