"We are not Colorado, we are not California. This is a medical program."
Jonathan Harris
It has been approximately nine months since Connecticut's certified patients were first able to purchase medical marijuana.
The number of registered patients has increased by more than 143 percent since last September said Jonathan Harris, Commissioner of the Department of Consumer Protection, on WNPR's Where We Live. When medical marijuana was first available for purchase in licensed dispensaries last fall, 1,683 patients were registered. Harris said when he last checked the numbers earlier in June, the number had grown to 4,097.
"It has grown steadily but we have not had -- and I think this is a benefit -- an explosion of people using medical marijuana," said Harris.
State officials have generally been slow and deliberate in the implementation of the program. Harris said one of the challenges in Connecticut is communicating that the medical program in Connecticut is different from those in other states. "We are not Colorado, we are not California," said Harris. "This is a medical program. It's not about recreational use."
One area for expansion in the existing program is among patients under 18. Legislation was not passed in the regular session to allow minors to use medical marijuana.
"That legislation unfortunately got caught up with some of the chaos at the end of the session," said Harris, referring to the legislature's focus on the state budget. "There is widespread support on both sides of the aisle for it. We have been able to get it into discussions on the implementer bill because there are revenue implications with licensing fees and expanding the market that would be revenue to the state of Connecticut."
Harris said the budget is not the reason to legalize use of medical marijuana for minors, but this connection would allow it to be part of budget negotiations. The legislature's special session will take place later in June.
