RECOMMENDING CANNABIS IN CONNECTICUT
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
- Create a DAS Business Network account to access online registrations
- Possess an active Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) controlled substance registration that is not subject to limitation,
- Be registered with and able to access the Connecticut Prescription Monitoring Program.
Physicians must issue a written certification to a qualifying patient that authorizes the palliative use of marijuana by the qualifying patient. The Department of Consumer Protection prescribes the form of the certification. The certification must be signed and dated by the patient's physician, and it must state that in the physician's professional opinion, the qualifying patient has a debilitating medical condition and the potential benefits of the palliative use of marijuana outweigh the health risks. This written certification is valid for one year from the date it was signed and dated by the physician.
If the qualifying patient is less than 18 years old, a qualifying physician cannot issue a certification that requires the marijuana to be smoked, inhaled, or vaporized. The dosage must be low enough to allow for other forms of intake.
A physician is not subject to arrest or prosecution or penalized in any manner for providing a written certification for the palliative use of marijuana as long as the physician:
- Completed a medically reasonable assessment of the patient's medical history and current medical condition and the certification is based on this assessment;
- Diagnosed the patient as having a debilitating medical condition;
- Prescribed or determined it is not in the best interest to prescribe prescription drugs to address the symptoms or effects for which the certification is being issued;
- Concluded that in the physician's medical opinion, the potential benefits of the palliative use of marijuana would likely outweigh the health risks to the patient;
- Explained the potential risks and benefits of the palliative use of marijuana to the patient or where the patient lacks legal capacity, to the parent, guardian, or other person having legal custody of the patient;
- Has a bona fide relationship with the patient in order to register them with the program. (A bona fide physician-patient relationship means a relationship in which the physician has an ongoing responsibility for the assessment, care and treatment of a patient's debilitating medical condition or a symptom of the patient's debilitating medical condition);
- The physician has no financial interest in a dispensary or producer licensed under this act, and;
- The physician is reasonably available to provide follow-up care and treatment for the patient, including any examinations necessary to determine the efficacy of marijuana for treating the patient's debilitating medical condition, or a symptom thereof.
For more information on how to complete the online application and certify a qualifying patient, please refer to the “Physician Quick Reference Card”.
Qualifying Adult Medical Conditions include:
- Cancer
- Glaucoma
- Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)
- Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS)
- Parkinson’s Disease
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Damage to the Nervous Tissue of the Spinal Cord with Objective Neurological Indication of Intractable Spasticity
- Epilepsy
- Cachexia (Wasting Syndrome)
- Crohn's Disease
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- Sickle Cell Disease
- Post Laminectomy Syndrome with Chronic Radiculopathy
- Severe Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis
- Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
- Ulcerative Colitis
- Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, Type 1 and Type II
- Cerebral Palsy
- Cystic Fibrosis
- Irreversible Spinal Cord Injury with Objective Neurological Indication of Intractable Spasticity
- Terminal Illness Requiring End-Of-Life Care
- Uncontrolled Intractable Seizure Disorder
- Spasticity or Neuropathic Pain Associated with Fibromyalgia
- Severe Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Post Herpetic Neuralgia
- Hydrocephalus with Intractable Headache
- Intractable Headache Syndromes
- Neuropathic Facial Pain
- Muscular Dystrophy
- Osteogenesis Imperfecta
- Chronic Neuropathic Pain Associated with Degenerative Spinal Disorders
- Interstitial Cystitis
- Median Arcuate Ligament Syndrome (MALS Syndrome)
- Vulvodynia and Vulvar Burning
- Intractable Neuropathic Pain that Is Unresponsive to Standard Medical Treatments
- Tourette Syndrome
- Chronic Pain of at least 6 months duration associated with a specified underlying chronic condition refractory to other treatment intervention
- Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome Associated with Chronic Pain
- Chronic Pancreatitis
- Movement disorders associated with Huntington Disease
Qualifying Debilitating Medical Conditions for Minors include:
- Cerebral Palsy
- Cystic Fibrosis
- Irreversible Spinal Cord Injury with Objective Neurological Indication of Intractable Spasticity
- Severe Epilepsy
- Terminal Illness Requiring End-Of-Life Care
- Uncontrolled Intractable Seizure Disorder
- Muscular Dystrophy
- Osteogenesis Imperfecta
- Intractable Neuropathic Pain that is Unresponsive to Standard Medical Treatments
- Tourette Syndrome for patients who have failed standards medical treatment
- Chronic Pancreatitis for patients whose pain is recalcitrant to standard medical management
Medical professionals have a legal right to recommend cannabis as a treatment in any state, as protected by the First Amendment. Established by a 2004 United States Supreme Court decision to uphold earlier federal court rulings that found doctors and their patients have a fundamental Constitutional right to freely discuss treatment options.
More resources for medical professionals can be found here.
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