Now that Connecticut added eight new qualifying conditions for the state’s medical marijuana program, more people can access the medicine they need.

Connecticut recently underwent a potentially important round of changes to its cannabis laws. In particular, state lawmakers recently expanded the medical marijuana program.

Now, as Connecticut adds eight new qualifying conditions for medical marijuana, officials expect to see an uptick in the number of patients joining the program.

Expanding the Medical Marijuana Program

Connecticut’s Regulation Review Committee, a group of lawmakers that oversees the state’s medical marijuana program, recently voted to expand the program.

After last week's announcement that the New York Democratic Party supports marijuana legalization, it appears more state parties are joining the cannabis legalization bandwagon, writes Joseph Misulonas.

Seeing an opportunity for more business, Brown Paindiris & Scott is pressing forward with its marijuana law division.

The legislative session ended before Connecticut lawmakers considered a bill that would have legalized recreational marijuana use, but law firms eyeing that practice area remain optimistic.

Hartford firm Brown Paindiris & Scott, for instance, still sees enough opportunity to launch and maintain a venture in marijuana law. Despite limited medical marijuana use in the Nutmeg state, and at least another year’s wait before legislators again consider the possibility of recreational use becoming legal, two Brown Paindiris lawyers will continue to focus on that business line.

Lawmakers have until Wednesday to pass a bill and the marijuana legalization effort in Connecticut is running out of time.

The marijuana legalization effort in Connecticut is running out of time, as this year’s legislative session winds to a close this week. Lawmakers have until May 9 to pass a bill pending in the House of Representatives.

But that doesn’t seem likely, according to local media. Both the House and the Senate have other bills more likely to gain lawmakers’ attention.

Doctors will gather in Hartford this summer to decide whether medical marijuana can be used legally as a treatment for opioid abuse and withdrawal.

The decision by the state Medical Marijuana Program Board of Physicians could be influenced by two studies published last month in the Journal of the American Medical Association, which reported that states permitting medicinal use of marijunana have seen a drop in opioid prescriptions.

Cannabis use is usually thought to impair our ability to pay attention or organize efficiently (and a lot of scientific research backs up that assumption to some extent). But there are also plenty of people who say smoking up helps them focus and get things done, writes Calvin Hughes.

Addiction psychiatrist Larissa Mooney says she hears this a lot.

For the first time in the Connecticut legislature, a recreational marijuana bill has made it out of committee and is headed to the full General Assembly for consideration.

The appropriations committee voted 27-24 Thursday to approve the bill.

"This bill deserves an opportunity for further conversation and to get into the fine points of what that conversation would be," said Sen. Paul Formica, a Republican from East Lyme and a committee co-chair.

The legislation calls for officials from several state agencies to develop a plan for the legalization and regulation of cannabis.

Pushback from both Republicans and Democrats reflects public divisions over legal marijuana in the Constitution State.

The push for cannabis reform in Connecticut has suffered a setback after the state General Assembly's General Law Committee voted to shut down a bill that would have legalized and regulated adult-use cannabis retail sales.

The issue was hotly debated in the committee, but unlike other states where Democrats champion legalization against Republican opposition, the committee saw bipartisan agreement on both sides of the issue.

The legal retail of marijuana in Massachusetts begins July 1.

That’s prompted Rhode Island and Connecticut lawmakers to once again consider legislation to regulate the sale of recreational marijuana.

Similar legislation failed in both states last year.

Sam Tracey, with the advocacy group Connecticut Coalition to Regulate Marijuana, says Connecticut could lose millions of dollars in tax revenue to neighboring states if it doesn’t allow the retail sale of marijuana.

Connecticut has a bright, green future: this state could be close to having legal recreational cannabis.

Cannabis laws in Connecticut have slowly evolved over the last few years and today, lawmakers are holding a hearing about recreational weed. The meeting may be a sign that this state could be close to having legal recreational cannabis.

Public Hearing to Discuss Weed

This morning, Connecticut lawmakers will hear arguments for and against the possibility of legalizing recreational weed. The meeting is a public hearing, which means it will be open for comments from the general public.