Aaron Berkowitz – General Assignment Reporter
Connecticut is probably the strictest of the 20 states that have implemented the selling of medical marijuana, said Michael Lawlor, Under Secretary for Criminal Justice Policy and Planning.
Lawlor said Connecticut aims to get medicine to those who need it, but in a much more discreet and official manner than seen in other states that have already passed the law. “In other states you will see advertising with bright green neon lights with marijuana leaves outside of the dispensaries, but you won’t see that here,” said Lawlor. “In Connecticut the dispensaries will be much more like what you’re accustomed to seeing at your local drug store. You would never know the store was distributing marijuana unless you have your card.”
David Ostroff, junior journalism major, said he thinks a dispensary making its way to Connecticut is a good thing. “It’s a hell of a lot healthier than alcohol and safer,” said Ostroff. “It’s become more of a light-hearted topic because so many people do it. I think it’s definitely a good thing; it just has the bad stigma of being a ‘drug.’ I think it will definitely help the economy.” Ostroff said the dispensaries could also reduce the amount of drug related crime. “The dispensaries could also help take some of the drug dealers off of the street too,” said Ostroff.
Alisha Noble, sophomore psychology major, said although she doesn’t smoke she thinks the dispensaries can be good for the people who actually need the marijuana for medicine. “I think it’s similar to people who receive state assistance when they don’t really need it,” said Noble. “The dispensaries can be good if they are used to help people and the owners don’t allow people to take advantage of their presence.”
Noble said she would like to see how the state responds to the first dispensary opening up.“I know the ones that have opened in other states have been successful so I guess we will see,” said Noble. “I’m curious about how people get their cards though because if it’s easy then I can see a lot of people using it for recreational use instead of for medication.”
Lawlor said the screening process to receive a card would be much more in depth than in other states. “In other states they have physicians that work in the dispensaries that will get you a card on the spot; that won’t happen in Connecticut,” said Lawlor. According to a poll done by CBS News, 51 percent of Americans are for the legalization of marijuana as of 2014. The debate for legalization is constantly changing, but the poll shows that now the majority of the U.S is pro-marijuana.
The six dispensaries that are scheduled to open in Connecticut are located in Branford, Bridgeport, Bristol, Hartford, South Windsor, and Uncasville. Each of the approved locations are required to pay a licensing fee of $5,000 within 30 days.
Some illnesses that can make a person eligible for medical marijuana cards are: Cancer, Glaucoma, Epilepsy, HIV, Crohn’s Disease, and others that physicians deem fit for the prescription. Policies set against employees with medical marijuana cards are up to the employer, said Lawlor.“The employer sets the standards,” said Lawlor. “If an employee is not performing because of their using marijuana or any other drug that is legal then it becomes an issue.”
With the implementation of medical marijuana dispensaries in Connecticut happening it looks like we could be seeing other new policies appearing inside the workplace and other parts of society as well.
