General Law Committee
JOINT FAVORABLE REPORT
Bill No.: HB-5295
Title: AN ACT CONCERNING REVISIONS TO MEDICAL MARIJUANA STATUTES.
Vote Date: 3/10/2020
Vote Action: Joint Favorable Substitute
PH Date: 3/5/2020
File No.:
Disclaimer: The following JOINT FAVORABLE Report is prepared for the benefit of the
members of the General Assembly, solely for purposes of information, summarization and
explanation and does not represent the intent of the General Assembly or either chamber
thereof for any purpose.
SPONSORS OF BILL:
The General Law Committee
REASONS FOR BILL:
To make various revisions to the medical marijuana program.
RESPONSE FROM ADMINISTRATION/AGENCY:
[Click here and Enter Response from Administration/Agency]
NATURE AND SOURCES OF SUPPORT:
The Academy of Medical Marijuana Dispensaries is in support of HB 5295 because it makes
much needed revisions to the medical marijuana program. Key among these revisions is the
removal of the application and annual administration fees currently levied on medical
marijuana patients. These fees effectively, and unfairly, tax medical marijuana patients for
their medication while no other medical treatment or therapy charges such fees. Also long
overdue is the addition of chronic pain to the list of qualifying conditions. Overall, the
Academy appreciates and supports the relief that HB 5295 brings to Connecticuts medical
marijuana patients.
The Connecticut Medical Cannabis Council is in support of HB 5295 because they continue
to be fully focused on doing what we can to retain Connecticuts reputation as having the very
best medical marijuana program in the nation. To that point, House Bill 5295 contains
enhancements to the program that we believe make sense. Some of the revisions that they
support include the elimination of application and administrative fees that patients currently
pay. They also support House Bill 5295 because it codifies in statute the action taken last fall
by the Board of Physicians to add chronic pain as a qualifying condition. The Council hopes
that the committee will look at opening this up further and let patients purchase their medicine
from the dispensary of their choice, and have these facilities implement real-time integration
with the EPDMP (electronic prescription drug monitoring program).
Affinity Health and Wellness supports HB 5295 with changes. Specifically, these changes
would be in Section 1 (b), line 17 which states any person with a valid registration certificate
who is found to be in possession of marijuana that did not originate from the selected
dispensary." This would be difficult to determine because the containers that are used to
package cannabis by the producers currently is not the most appropriate way to store the
medication. Another recommended change to this bill would be in section 6 states "no
producer can offer or give a dispensary or employee anything of value." We would like to
know the definition of "value" as well as the intent of the section.
NATURE AND SOURCES OF OPPOSITION:
[Click here and Enter Nature and Sources of Opposition]
Reported by: Jeff Lucas Date: 3/20/20
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Statutes affected:
Raised Bill: