After some 10 hours of debate, including a marathon filibuster by Toni Boucher of Wilton, the state Senate approved a medicinal marijuana bill Saturday morning.
The bill allows licensed pharmacists to dispense marijuana to patients with certain debilitating illnesses such as glaucoma, cancer, or HIV.
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Here is Gov. Dannel Malloy’s statement on the bill:
“There are thousands of people in Connecticut who will likely benefit from this legislation as they struggle with debilitating and life-threatening illnesses. With them in mind, I want to commend the General Assembly for passing this bill.
I understand many of the concerns raised by opponents. We don’t want Connecticut to follow the path pursued by some other states, which essentially would legalize marijuana for anyone willing to find the right doctor and get the right prescription.
In my opinion, such efforts run counter to federal law. Under this proposal, however, the Department of Consumer Protection will be able to carefully regulate and monitor the medicinal use of this drug in order to avoid the problems encountered in some other states.
This legislation is about accomplishing one objective: providing relief to those with severe medical illnesses. I look forward to signing the bill when it reaches my desk.”