Demand for Medical Marijuana Lighting Up in Connecticut

Demand for medical marijuana is picking up, according to one of Connecticut’s three “marijuana doctors”.

Back when medical marijuana was first legalized in 2012, Dr. Corey Jaquez would only get one or two consultations each week, he told Fox Connecticut. But now, that number is around 14 consultations a week and he is considering opening his practice on another day of the week for consultations.

Dr. Corey Jaquez works at one of three practices in Connecticut which advertise prescribing medical marijuana. But all Connecticut doctors are authorized to offer the drug. So far, about 2,000 people in Connecticut have obtained medical marijuana cards, Fox Connecticut reports.

In order to legally obtain medical marijuana, patients must have one of the following qualifying conditions:

• Cancer
• Glaucoma
• AIDS or HIV
• 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
• Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
• Or any other medical condition, medical treatment or disease approved by the Department of Consumer Protection

Doctors like Dr. Corey Jaquez don’t give qualifying patients the marijuana. Patients need to go to a legal dispensary. So far, four manufacturers and six dispensaries have been licensed, but residents have objected to dispensaries, The New York Times reports.

A survey last month found that a full 90 percent of Connecticut residents support the medical use of marijuana. But what do you think? We’d love to hear from you in the Comments section.