Ailing patients, marijuana growers, prescribing physicians, and dispensing pharmacists are off and running, or maybe we should say “smokin’,” with the recent approval of state regulations implementing Public Act 12-55, An Act Concerning the Palliative Use of Marijuana, which legalized medical marijuana in Connecticut.
Two significant problems remain. Marijuana is a Schedule I drug under the federal Controlled Substances Act (CSA). Therefore, growing, dispensing, possessing, and using marijuana in any form for any purpose in the state of Connecticut is still a violation of federal law. A major breakthrough occurred in late August when U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder announced that the Department of Justice would take a “trust and verify” approach to allowing states to create its own programs to regulate and implement medical marijuana and recreational use for adults. However, he made clear he would vigorously enforce federal law in eight key areas, including sale to minors, diversion to states where it has not been authorized, marijuana and revenue going to criminal enterprises, and possession or use on federal property.
