Robert Celt
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The legislative committee that reviews new state regulations before they are adopted narrowly approved an expansion of the state's medical marijuana program Tuesday, adding six conditions qualifying for treatment.
In an 8-5 vote, the regulation review committee approved all but one of the seven recommended conditions: ALS, or Lou Gehrig's disease; ulcerative colitis; sickle cell disease; severe psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis; complex regional pain syndrome; and post-laminectomy syndrome with chronic radiculopathy, which is recurring back pain after surgery.
"The six new conditions will allow other people with some really serious medical conditions to have access to the medicine to help them," Jonathan A. Harris, commissioner of the state Department of Consumer Protection, which oversees the program, said after the vote.
No further approvals are required because the changes are to regulations, not legislation. People with the newly added conditions are expected to be able to apply to the medical marijuana program in about 30 days, state officials said.
The committee's vote came after a wide-ranging discussion of the 18-month-old program, with opponents pushing to put off any expansion of the program, created in 2012. The program's structure came under scrutiny Tuesday, including how the recommendations for the new conditions reached the legislative committee.
The discussion also demonstrated how deeply divided legislators are on the medical marijuana program and the concern for the dearth of research on its long-term effects.
A central concern raised Tuesday was that the eight-member Medical Marijuana Program Board of Physicians only had four members until recently and was still making recommendations to the legislative committee. The physicians board, which is advisory, now has five members.
"The core problem is that we now have a statute says the board is going to have eight doctors or surgeons knowledgeable about the palliative use of marijuana," said Rep. Tom O'Dea, R-New Caanan, a committee member. "The problem is that there have been only four qualified to do that. Now, we have a fifth."
Harris, who testified at Tuesday's meeting, said restrictions on who can sit on the physicians board have made it tough to fill the seats.
"It has been difficult to fill them because of the well-intended, narrow band of eligible physicians that have the certifications that are required," Harris said.
Harris said the consumer protection department has proposed a bill that would ease some of the required certifications in an effort to fill those seats.
While the committee approved six new conditions, it knocked one off – Fabry disease – because the physicians board was split, 2-2 in recommending it. Harris said Tuesday he recommended Fabry disease – a genetic disorder that prevents the breakdown in lipids and can cause damage to the nervous system, cardiovascular system, eyes and kidneys – because the medical marijuana program regulations give him that authority.
O'Dea and others on the committee said they did not want to approve it because there wasn't a majority in the recommendation from the physicians board.
A push by Rep. Vincent J. Candelora, R-North Branford, to eliminate complex regional pain syndrome, which is marked by severe pain, swelling and hypersensitivity to touch following injury or surgery, was narrowly defeated. Candelora said the condition appeared to move into the vague area of "pain," but Harris said the syndrome had a specific, underlying diagnosis.
Harris noted Tuesday that people with approved conditions do not automatically qualify for medical marijuana. They must be still be recommended by a physician who participates in the program.
Tuesday's approvals bring the number of approved medical marijuana conditions to 17. The new maladies join these 11: cancer, glaucoma, HIV or AIDs, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, intractable spasticity related to nerve damage in the spinal cord, epilepsy, cachexia, wasting syndrome, Crohn's disease and post-traumatic stress disorder.
As of mid-January, the state had 8,228 patients registered for the medical marijuana program. State officials say Connecticut is adding about 100 registered patients a week, and their numbers could reach 13,000 by the end of 2016.
The state also is adding three dispensaries, boosting the number to nine. Connecticut has four licensed medical marijuana growers.
News Moderator: Robert Celt 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: CT: Legislative Committee Adds Six Conditions For Medical Marijuana
Author: Kenneth R. Gosselin
Contact: Hartford Courant
Photo Credit: None found
Website: Hartford Courant
In an 8-5 vote, the regulation review committee approved all but one of the seven recommended conditions: ALS, or Lou Gehrig's disease; ulcerative colitis; sickle cell disease; severe psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis; complex regional pain syndrome; and post-laminectomy syndrome with chronic radiculopathy, which is recurring back pain after surgery.
"The six new conditions will allow other people with some really serious medical conditions to have access to the medicine to help them," Jonathan A. Harris, commissioner of the state Department of Consumer Protection, which oversees the program, said after the vote.
No further approvals are required because the changes are to regulations, not legislation. People with the newly added conditions are expected to be able to apply to the medical marijuana program in about 30 days, state officials said.
The committee's vote came after a wide-ranging discussion of the 18-month-old program, with opponents pushing to put off any expansion of the program, created in 2012. The program's structure came under scrutiny Tuesday, including how the recommendations for the new conditions reached the legislative committee.
The discussion also demonstrated how deeply divided legislators are on the medical marijuana program and the concern for the dearth of research on its long-term effects.
A central concern raised Tuesday was that the eight-member Medical Marijuana Program Board of Physicians only had four members until recently and was still making recommendations to the legislative committee. The physicians board, which is advisory, now has five members.
"The core problem is that we now have a statute says the board is going to have eight doctors or surgeons knowledgeable about the palliative use of marijuana," said Rep. Tom O'Dea, R-New Caanan, a committee member. "The problem is that there have been only four qualified to do that. Now, we have a fifth."
Harris, who testified at Tuesday's meeting, said restrictions on who can sit on the physicians board have made it tough to fill the seats.
"It has been difficult to fill them because of the well-intended, narrow band of eligible physicians that have the certifications that are required," Harris said.
Harris said the consumer protection department has proposed a bill that would ease some of the required certifications in an effort to fill those seats.
While the committee approved six new conditions, it knocked one off – Fabry disease – because the physicians board was split, 2-2 in recommending it. Harris said Tuesday he recommended Fabry disease – a genetic disorder that prevents the breakdown in lipids and can cause damage to the nervous system, cardiovascular system, eyes and kidneys – because the medical marijuana program regulations give him that authority.
O'Dea and others on the committee said they did not want to approve it because there wasn't a majority in the recommendation from the physicians board.
A push by Rep. Vincent J. Candelora, R-North Branford, to eliminate complex regional pain syndrome, which is marked by severe pain, swelling and hypersensitivity to touch following injury or surgery, was narrowly defeated. Candelora said the condition appeared to move into the vague area of "pain," but Harris said the syndrome had a specific, underlying diagnosis.
Harris noted Tuesday that people with approved conditions do not automatically qualify for medical marijuana. They must be still be recommended by a physician who participates in the program.
Tuesday's approvals bring the number of approved medical marijuana conditions to 17. The new maladies join these 11: cancer, glaucoma, HIV or AIDs, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, intractable spasticity related to nerve damage in the spinal cord, epilepsy, cachexia, wasting syndrome, Crohn's disease and post-traumatic stress disorder.
As of mid-January, the state had 8,228 patients registered for the medical marijuana program. State officials say Connecticut is adding about 100 registered patients a week, and their numbers could reach 13,000 by the end of 2016.
The state also is adding three dispensaries, boosting the number to nine. Connecticut has four licensed medical marijuana growers.
News Moderator: Robert Celt 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: CT: Legislative Committee Adds Six Conditions For Medical Marijuana
Author: Kenneth R. Gosselin
Contact: Hartford Courant
Photo Credit: None found
Website: Hartford Courant
