Recently Connecticut became the 17th state in the country to pass a law allowing individuals to receive medical marijuana to help relieve symptoms of various ailments. Although Governor Dannell Malloy eventually signed the bill into law, there was vocal opposition to the measure, particularly from Senator Toni Boucher (R-Wilton) who filibustered late into the night, trying to add several amendments.
The issue of legalizing marijuana for medicinal purposes is not as politically polarizing as some might believe; at least in one area. According to Drug War Chronicles (issue number 734), a recent Mason Dixon poll showed that 67% of Republicans believe that the federal government should respect state medical marijuana laws, as did 75% of Democrats ,and 79% of those who viewed themselves as Independents.
But there is division among state legislators, and coming up with a compromise is what kept Connecticut lawmakers up past midnight, hammering out differences. The end result was a law with strict guidelines as to who would be able to obtain the drug, what illnesses would fall into the acceptable category for receiving medical marijuana, and even how many “grows” are allowable (10) and how many dispensaries can hand out the drug to a very select cliental (10).
Yet the very stringent rules of Connecticut’s new law are what might make it the model for other states that are still bickering over how to make sure medical marijuana is not diverted for recreational use, but rather issued to those in debilitating pain, or in some other way afflicted by a condition that medical marijuana is known to ease.
In an article that appeared in the CT Mirror on May 15, Dr. Robert L. Painter discusses why Connecticut’s medical marijuana law should be the model for all states grappling with the issue.
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