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Connecticut - West Hartford Town Council voted unanimously on Oct. 22 to enact a moratorium on medical marijuana growers and dispensaries. This means that West Hartford will probably not see any manufacturers or dispensaries during the first round of licensing by the state. Beginning in 2014, state officials will award three licenses for marijuana producers and three to five licenses for dispensaries. Under the new ordinance, the town has up to nine months to revise zoning codes to regulate marijuana dispensary, production or pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities before any are allowed in town.
The decision came after a public hearing, featuring testimony from the State Consumer Protection Commissioner William Rubenstein and resident Tracey Gamer-Fanning, a terminal brain cancer patient. Gamer-Fanning said she was diagnosed with cancer in 2006 at age 36, and was given a three- to five-year life expectancy. The young mother is raising two young children and deals with debilitating seizures and pain. In 2008, Gamer-Fanning said that in 2008 she began taking marijuana medicinally.
"I have to go to the street to buy black market marijuana so that I can make dinner," said Gamer-Fanning. Rubenstein, a West Hartford resident, said that the state has very carefully designed its regulations to consider the needs of patients and communities. "I don't think you're going to come up with something that protects the interest of patients and the interest of the community better than what we've done." Several councilors said that they needed time to hear from the rest of the community. Others said they would work quickly to develop and pass regulations.
There are currently about 1,200 patients licensed to use medical marijuana in the state, according to Rubenstein. The number of distribution facilities will increase as consumer demand increases, but will never exceed 10 sites in the state, he said. The next round will be determined by how well the first round works and increased patient demand. "We might wind up saying its retail, its fine, said Town Manager Ron Van Winkle. "The question was whether we needed to spend some time with this issue as a community." "This is about patients. This is not about recreation, said Gamer-Fanning. "This is about people."
News Hawk - The General @ 420 MAGAZINE ®
Source: Westhartfordnews.com
Author: Kathleen Schassler
Contact: West Hartford News - Latest News, Sports, Opinion, Entertainment, Business
Website: Marijuana moratorium adopted by West Hartford Town Council - News - West Hartford News
The decision came after a public hearing, featuring testimony from the State Consumer Protection Commissioner William Rubenstein and resident Tracey Gamer-Fanning, a terminal brain cancer patient. Gamer-Fanning said she was diagnosed with cancer in 2006 at age 36, and was given a three- to five-year life expectancy. The young mother is raising two young children and deals with debilitating seizures and pain. In 2008, Gamer-Fanning said that in 2008 she began taking marijuana medicinally.
"I have to go to the street to buy black market marijuana so that I can make dinner," said Gamer-Fanning. Rubenstein, a West Hartford resident, said that the state has very carefully designed its regulations to consider the needs of patients and communities. "I don't think you're going to come up with something that protects the interest of patients and the interest of the community better than what we've done." Several councilors said that they needed time to hear from the rest of the community. Others said they would work quickly to develop and pass regulations.
There are currently about 1,200 patients licensed to use medical marijuana in the state, according to Rubenstein. The number of distribution facilities will increase as consumer demand increases, but will never exceed 10 sites in the state, he said. The next round will be determined by how well the first round works and increased patient demand. "We might wind up saying its retail, its fine, said Town Manager Ron Van Winkle. "The question was whether we needed to spend some time with this issue as a community." "This is about patients. This is not about recreation, said Gamer-Fanning. "This is about people."
News Hawk - The General @ 420 MAGAZINE ®
Source: Westhartfordnews.com
Author: Kathleen Schassler
Contact: West Hartford News - Latest News, Sports, Opinion, Entertainment, Business
Website: Marijuana moratorium adopted by West Hartford Town Council - News - West Hartford News
