Connecticut
44,327
Registered Patient Population |
1.24%
of Total Population Represented by Patients |
17
Total Medical Retail Locations Currently in Operation |
4,925 : 1
Patients : Retail |
Medical cannabis is legal to qualified patients in Connecticut. Patients and caregivers registered with the Department of Consumer Protection may purchase medical cannabis from state-licensed dispensaries, but no personal cultivation is allowed. Patients and caregivers may possess up to 2.5 ounces of cannabis. Patients report feeling irritated about inconsistent product availability at dispensaries or feel prices too expensive to be a medical cannabis patient as taxes on medical cannabis are too high. Connecticut does not recognize out of state medical cannabis cards
 Patient Rights and Civil Protection |
74/100 |
|
| Arrest Protection |
40/40 |
| Affirmative Defense |
13/15 |
| Parental Rights Protections |
0/10 |
| DUI Protections |
0/5 |
| Employment Protections |
5/5 |
| Explicit Privacy Standards |
7/7 |
| Housing Protections |
5/5 |
| Does Not Create New Criminal Penalties for Patients |
4/5 |
| Organ Transplants |
0/5 |
| Reciprocity |
0/3 |
|
|
Access to Medicine |
68/100 |
|
| Allows Distribution Programs |
28/40 |
| – Allows Access to Dried Flowers |
15/15 |
| – Allows Delivery |
0/5 |
| – No Sales Tax or Reasonable Sales Tax |
4/5 |
| – Allows for a Reasonable Number of Dispensaries |
4/5 |
| – Does Not Require Vertical Integration |
2/2 |
| – Ownership/Employment Restrictions |
1/2 |
| – Provisions for Labor Standards |
0/2 |
| – Environmental Impact Regulations |
0/2 |
| – Choice of Dispensary Without Restrictions |
2/2 |
| Noncommercial Cultivation |
0/20 |
| – Personal Cultivation |
0/15 |
| – Collective Gardening |
0/5 |
| Explicit Right to Edibles/Concentrates/Other Forms |
10/10 |
| Does not Impose Bans or Limits on THC |
10/10 |
| Does not Impose Bans on CBD |
10/10 |
| Local Bans/Zoning |
10/10 |
|
|
Ease of Navigation |
86/100 |
|
| Comprehensive Qualifying Conditions |
46/50 |
| Adding New Conditions |
10/10 |
| – Law/Regulations Allow for New Conditions |
5/5 |
| – System Works for Adding New Conditions |
5/5 |
| Reasonable Access for Minors |
8/10 |
| Reasonable Caregiver Background Checks |
4/4 |
| Number of Caregivers |
2/2 |
| Patient/Practitioner-Focused Task Force or Advisory Board |
0/2 |
| Reasonable Fees (Patients and Caregivers) |
7/10 |
| Allows Multiple-Year Registrations |
0/2 |
| Reasonable Physician Requirements |
4/5 |
| Does Not Classify Cannabis as a Medicine of Last Resort |
5/5 |
|
|
Functionality |
77/100 |
|
| Patients Able to Access Medicine at Dispensaries or by Cultivation |
45/50 |
| No Significant Administrative or Supply Problems |
14/15 |
| Patients Can Receive Legal Protections Within Reasonable Time Frame of Doctor's Recommendation |
8/10 |
| Reasonable Possession Limits |
4/5 |
| Reasonable Purchase Limits |
3/5 |
| Allows Patients to Medicate where They Choose |
3/5 |
| Covered by Insurance/State Health Aid |
0/3 |
| Financial Hardship (Fee Waivers/Discount Medicine) |
0/7 |
|
|
Consumer Safety and Provider Requirements |
77/100 |
|
| Dispensing |
23/25 |
| Staff Training |
5/5 |
| Standard Operating Procedures |
5/5 |
| – Facility Sanitary Conditions |
1.25/1.25 |
| – Storage Protocols |
1.25/1.25 |
| – Reasonable Security Protocols |
1.25/1.25 |
| – Inventory Control |
1.25/1.25 |
| Recall Protocol and Adverse Event Reporting |
5/5 |
| Product Labeling |
2.67/5 |
| – Product Contents, Including Source Material Identification |
1.67/1.67 |
| – Allergens |
0/1.67 |
| – Potency/Compound Identification |
1/1.67 |
| Required Testing |
5/5 |
| – Active Compound Identification |
1.67/1.67 |
| – Contaminants |
1.67/1.67 |
| – Potency |
1.67/1.67 |
| Grow/Cultivation |
19/25 |
| Staff Training |
0/5 |
| Standard Operating Procedures |
4/5 |
| – Facility and Equipment Sanitary Conditions |
0.71/0.71 |
| – Workforce Safety Protocols |
0/0.71 |
| – Storage Protocols (Short-Term and Long-Term Storage) |
0.71/0.71 |
| – Reasonable Security Protocols |
0.71/0.71 |
| – Batch and Lot Tracking |
0.71/0.71 |
| – Disposal/Waste |
0/0.71 |
| – Water Management |
0/0.71 |
| Pesticide Guidance |
5/5 |
| – Pesticide Guidance |
2.5/2.5 |
| – Pesticide Labeling |
2.5/2.5 |
| Required Testing |
5/5 |
| – Active Ingredient Identification |
1.25/1.25 |
| – Contaminants |
1.25/1.25 |
| – Potency |
1.25/1.25 |
| – Sample Retention |
1.25/1.25 |
| Recall Protocol and Adverse Event Reporting |
5/5 |
| Manufacturing |
18/25 |
| Staff Training |
0/5 |
| Standard Operating Procedures |
4/5 |
| – Facility and Equipment Sanitary Conditions |
0/1 |
| – Workforce Safety Protocols |
1/1 |
| – Storage Protocols |
1/1 |
| – Reasonable Security Protocols |
1/1 |
| – Batch and Lot Tracking |
1/1 |
| Product Labeling |
5/5 |
| – Product Contents, Including Source Material Identification |
1.67/1.67 |
| – Allergens |
1.67/1.67 |
| – Potency and Compound Information |
1.67/1.67 |
| Required Testing |
4/5 |
| – Active Ingredient Identification |
1/1 |
| – Contaminants |
1/1 |
| – Potency |
1/1 |
| – Shelf Life Testing |
0/1 |
| – Sample Retention |
1/1 |
| Recall Protocol and Adverse Event Reporting |
5/5 |
| Laboratory Operations |
17.49/25 |
| Staff Training |
5/5 |
| Method Validation in Accordance with AHP Guidelines |
0/5 |
| Result Reporting |
5/5 |
| Independent or Third Party |
5/5 |
| Standard Operating Procedures and Protocols |
2.49/5 |
| – Equipment and Instrument Calibration |
0/0.83 |
| – Sample Tracking |
0.83/0.83 |
| – Facility and Equipment Sanitary Conditions |
0.83/0.83 |
| – Disposal/Waste |
0/0.83 |
| – Storage Protocols |
0.83/0.83 |
| – Workforce Safety Protocols |
0/0.83 |
|
|
Covid Response |
14/20
|
|
| Delivery Available? |
2/6
|
| Curbside Pickup Available? |
2/2
|
| Medical Cannabis Essential? |
7/7
|
| Telemedicine Available? |
3/5
|
|
| Excerpted from ASA's 2020 State of the States Report. |
In This Section
Connecticut's medical marijuana laws protect patients and their designated caregivers.
On May 31, 2012, Connecticut became the 17th state in the US to approve medical cannabis when Governor Dan Malloy signed HB 5389, "An Act Concerning the Palliative Use of Marijuana." The bill passed both the Connecticut House and Senate by substantial margins, 96-51 and 21-13 respectively.
Connecticut's Act Concerning the Palliative Use of Marijuana provides patients and caregivers protection from arrest when using or handling medical cannabis in accordance with the law. Protections only apply to registered patients and caregivers. Patients and caregivers may purchase medical cannabis from dispensaries that are licensed by the state. Dispensaries will not be open for business until at least sometime in 2013, however, patients may still register with Department of Consumer Protection (DCP).
Medical professionals recommending medical cannabis must have an active Connecticut medical license issued by the Connecticut Department of Public Health, practice within the State of Connecticut, possess an active controlled substances registration issued by the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection that is not subject to limitation, possess an active Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) controlled substance registration that is not subject to limitation and must be registered with, and able to access, the Connecticut Prescription Monitoring Program.
Find local ASA Chapters, Action Groups and Affiliates in Connecticut and get involved in local campaigns.
The State of Medical Marijuana in Connecticut
