Politics & Government

Connecticut's New Medical Marijuana Law

Prospective patients can register for the legal right to buy marijuana, but there's still no system in place to allow the sale of the drug.

As of Oct.1, it's legal in Connecticut to buy and sell marijuana for medicinal purposes, in theory, at least (vote in our poll here).

The actual law goes into effect today (read other laws here) but it  could be a while before the sale of medical marijuana becomes a bonafide Connecticut business. That's because the state still has to adopt registration procedures for those who want to buy and sell the drug.

CT.com reports that although the law soon goes into effect, patients are unable to legally purchase marijuana or the seeds to grow their own supply. It could be another year until patients can find places to legally make the purchase as the state works out that aspect of the new law.

Find out what's happening in Branfordwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Despite the gap between registering and buying, the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection website details how to register online for using marijuana.

When the law passed the Connecticut Senate in May, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy stressed that the Department of Consumer Protection would regulate the industry to prevent any problems.           

Find out what's happening in Branfordwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

“I understand many of the concerns raised by opponents. We don’t want Connecticut to follow the path pursued by some other states, which essentially would legalize marijuana for anyone willing to find the right doctor and get the right prescription,” Malloy said. “In my opinion, such efforts run counter to federal law. Under this proposal, however, the Department of Consumer Protection will be able to carefully regulate and monitor the medicinal use of this drug in order to avoid the problems encountered in some other states.”

Will you seek to buy or sell marijuana in Connecticut now that's legal for medical purposes?


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here