Should Connecticut compensate a prison inmate who was injected with psychotropic drugs against his will? A trial set for January, in which the inmate is representing himself, will decide. The inmate, Kacey Lewis, was taken from his cell, shackled and subdued with pepper spray for some of the 42 injections he received from the medical staff at Northern Correctional Institution in Somers, according to court records. U.S. District Judge Vanessa Bryant found the prison staff violated Lewis' rights to due process and ordered the civil trial, scheduled for the first week of January, to determine whether he is entitled to financial damages or other relief. The trial also will determine whether medical staff violated Lewis' rights against cruel and unusual punishment by being deliberately indifferent to his medical needs and through the suffering caused by the injections. [continues 375 words]
Dr. Stephen Brown has become a believer in medical marijuana. Since registering as a certifying physician 15 months ago, Brown has seen about 700 patients, and he believes it has helped a majority of them. While certifying patients is required under state law for patients to buy medical marijuana, Brown takes pride in his physician's role. He spends time with each patient, takes a detailed medical history and follows up. Brown was a reconstructive surgeon who retired from surgery when it became too physically taxing. He had started his career in the Army, repairing cleft lips and palates in a Saigon field hospital during the Vietnam War. [continues 1199 words]
Doctor Becomes Believer in Healing Power of Medical Marijuana Dr. Stephen Brown has become a believer in medical marijuana. Since registering as a certifying physician 15 months ago, Brown has seen about 700 patients, and he believes it has helped a majority of them. While certifying patients is required under state law for patients to buy medical marijuana, Brown takes pride in his physician's role. He spends time with each patient, takes a detailed medical history and follows up. Brown was a reconstructive surgeon who retired from surgery when it became too physically taxing. He had started his career in the Army, repairing cleft lips and palates in a Saigon field hospital during the Vietnam War. [continues 1199 words]
A Connecticut state worker fired after he was caught smoking marijuana on the job was punished too harshly and should get his job back, the state Supreme Court ruled Friday. Gregory Linhoff was fired from his maintenance job at the University of Connecticut Health Center in Farmington in 2012 after a police officer caught him smoking pot in a state-owned vehicle. He was arrested, but the charges were later dismissed. State officials said firing the New Hartford resident was the only appropriate penalty for his conduct. An arbitrator disagreed and overturned the firing, saying Linhoff instead should be suspended without pay for six months and be subject to random drug testing for a year after he returned to work. [continues 87 words]
The federal Drug Enforcement Administration has just issued a helpful reminder to all Americans. In denying a petition to loosen restrictions on marijuana, the agency repeated that the drug has "no currently accepted medical use" in the U.S. This may come as a surprise, given that 25 states already allow doctors to prescribe marijuana to treat maladies from PTSD to Alzheimer's disease. Yet the truth is, research has yet to find firm evidence that marijuana can alleviate physical suffering. [continues 395 words]
America's drug policies are largely misguided. Many people, from common citizens to seasoned politicians, are aware of this, and have sought to change these laws in response to the needless incarceration of indulgers and addicts and, as a consequence, an ever-expanding population of prison inmates - the largest in the world. However, the ethos of the War on Drugs has, since the early 1970s, remained a powerful motivation for lawmakers and justice officials to maintain the status quo. According to the Federal Bureau of Prisons, as of Jan. 30, 2016, the U.S. prison population was made up in large degree of drug offenders, with 46.6 percent of all inmates having been incarcerated for such offenses. The second-largest group of inmates by offense, classed under "Weapons, Explosives, Arson," made up just 16.9 percent. [continues 651 words]
Without a doubt, we Americans are in a bad way. The senseless deaths this week in Baton Rouge, La., Falcon Heights, Minn., and now Dallas are devastating beyond comprehension for the victims and their families. Each shooting is also an act in a shared national tragedy. The problems go down to the very roots. The question of whether as a country we are headed in the right or wrong direction can no longer be answered simply with reference to policy matters such as the economy, education or foreign relations. Instead we face the fundamental question of whether we, the people, as a single people, are holding together and can hold together. [continues 554 words]
On June 20, The Day published a guest commentary by Jim Spellman of Groton, "Stopping heroin at the source," which contended that "two appropriate recommendations have been offered to counter the heroin crisis - treat it as an epidemic and counter it as a village." Left unclear was who determined that these are the two appropriate recommendations in all of Connecticut. But, on his first point, I will agree that the heroin crisis in our state should be treated as an epidemic. [continues 501 words]
The number of patients in the state of Connecticut receiving medical marijuana treatment has grown from 2,000 a few years ago to 11,000, according to Department of Consumer Protection Deputy Commissioner Michelle Seagull. Connecticut legalized medical marijuana for adults in 2012. There are nine dispensaries in the state serving the more than 11,000 registered patients. Seagull reported those numbers at a recent seminar entitled "Navigating Connecticut's Medical Marijuana Regulations," which was given at the Connecticut Bar Association's Annual Legal Conference. [continues 379 words]
The number of patients in the state of Connecticut receiving medical marijuana treatment has grown from 2,000 a few years ago to 11,000, according to Department of Consumer Protection Deputy Commissioner Michelle Seagull. Connecticut legalized medical marijuana for adults in 2012. There are nine dispensaries in the state serving the more than 11,000 registered patients. Seagull reported those numbers at a recent seminar entitled "Navigating Connecticut's Medical Marijuana Regulations," which was given at the Connecticut Bar Association's Annual Legal Conference. [continues 378 words]
MILFORD - Robert Fiore's childhood onset epilepsy is long under control, but he made it his mission to legalize medical marijuana for those under 18 in Connecticut after watching the CNN special report, "Weed," which featured the remarkable change cannabis oil made in a young girl with epilepsy suffering some 300 seizures a week. I thought, "Why not bring it to Connecticut?" Fiore said. The bill he helped introduce and pushed through his organization Connecticut Epilepsy Advocate, passed in the Senate, 23-11, in April and Gov. Dannell P. Malloy signed it into law May 17. Patients under 18 may cannot use products that smokable, inhalable or vaporizable and only for certain severe conditions. [continues 756 words]
MILFORD - Robert Fiore's childhood onset epilepsy is long under control, but he made it his mission to legalize medical marijuana for those under 18 in Connecticut after watching the CNN special report, "Weed," which featured the remarkable change cannabis oil made in a young girl with epilepsy suffering some 300 seizures a week. I thought, "Why not bring it to Connecticut?" Fiore said. The bill he helped introduce and pushed through his organization Connecticut Epilepsy Advocate, passed in the Senate, 23-11, in April and Gov. Dannell P. Malloy signed it into law May 17. Patients under 18 cannot use products that are smokable, can be inhaled or are vaporizable and only for certain severe conditions. [continues 757 words]
Time is critical as respiration depresses from a potentially lethal dose of heroin, or possibly a cocktail including other opioids. For those first on scene, they need access naloxone to quickly get the victim breathing again. Monday, Lawrence + Memorial Hospital in New London, which has seen a growing number of overdose patients, announced they will provide some municipal police departments with this drug for a year. "Hospital leadership believed it was extremely important to get Narcan into the hands of first responders now," said Ron Kersey, the hospital's long-time EMS coordinator, in a statement. "There isn't the time for budget requests and grant submissions. They need the [naloxone] now because people are dying. The first day this Narcan was available to the Waterford Police Department, they saved a life." [continues 134 words]
Bill Awaits Governor's Signature HARTFORD - The Senate gave final passage to a bill Friday that would give children under the age of 18 access to non-smokeable medical marijuana. The bill passed the Senate 2311 after more than three hours of debate. The legislation, which received overwhelming approval in the House, faced stiff opposition from at least one Senator who introduced three amendments. The bill would give minors with severe epilepsy and terminal illnesses access to marijuana after the approval of two doctors. [continues 677 words]
Dr. Leana Wen, a practicing emergency care physician and Baltimore's health commissioner, has seen what addiction does to patients. Speaking to reporters this month in Baltimore, Wen recalled a patient, who developed an addiction and would lie about illnesses to ensure she had access to treatment, but then died of a heroin overdose after multiple attempts to get appropriate treatment. "Our overall goal: We have to get people into treatment at the time that the need it," Wen said. But the rate of fatal opioid overdoses has skyrocketed in the United States. Opioid-involved deaths more than tripled from 2000 to 2014, including an age-adjusted death rate increase of 210 percent from the same time span, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 2014 alone, 28,000 people died of fatal opioid overdoses, according to the CDC. [continues 1583 words]
Those who claim legalizing marijuana has resulted in an increase in youth cannabis (marijuana) use [April 5, courant.com, "Marijuana Advocates Make Fiscal Argument For Connecticut Legalization"] are directly contradicted by Larry Wolk, the head of Colorado's public health department. Recently interviewed in the Denver Post, Mr. Wolk said "there's really no statistically significant data yet to demonstrate that there is increased use among adults or teens." Further, what is the cost and the health consequences of caging people for using cannabis? Cannabis prohibition's expense is astronomical when everything is considered, and minorities foot most of that bill. Prohibitionists haven't considered the true social cost to perpetuate and maintain one of North America's worst policy failures in history. Stan White, Dillon, Colo. [end]
University of Connecticut student Jennifer Purdon is not shy talking about what she termed Tuesday as her "daily use of cannabis." Purdon, who described herself as a double-major, honor student with a 3.6 Grade Point Average, said, "I just prefer it (marijuana) over alcohol." Her testimony at a forum on recreational marijuana legalization brought a raucous round of applause from the largely supportive crowd that packed a hearing at the Legislative Office Building in Hartford. The informational hearing was sponsored by New Haven Democratic Reps. Juan Candelaria and Toni Walker. [continues 935 words]
Hartford (AP) - Proponents of legalizing marijuana in Connecticut urged state lawmakers on Tuesday to act quickly and capitalize on the "novelty factor" of possibly becoming the first New England state to allow recreational use of the drug. Tracy Helin, of Middletown, who is registered to use the state's medical marijuana program to relieve cancer symptoms, warned legislators who attended an informational hearing on legalization that time is of the essence. Recreational marijuana legalization is being considered in Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Vermont. [continues 374 words]
The Governor's Prevention Partnership announced Monday that it has formed a statewide coalition to prevent the legalization of recreational marijuana in Connecticut. Along with the Connecticut Association of Prevention Professionals and others, the partnership urged lawmakers to "consider the best interests of young people in the debate over legalization," according to a news release. "Parents especially need to understand that marijuana is very harmful and addictive," said Jill Spineti, president and chief executive officer of the partnership. "Marijuana has a significant negative impact on a child's physical and mental health, development and overall well-being." [continues 143 words]
HARTFORD There won't be a vote on legalizing marijuana for recreational use in Connecticut this year but that didn't stop supporters and opponents from speaking out at an informational hearing at the Capitol Tuesday. Before Tuesday's meeting, a few dozen supporters gathered outside the hearing room and said meeting said legalizing marijuana would bring much-needed tax revenue and new jobs to the state. "What's going to end up selling the bill is economy," said Michael Galipeau, a medical marijuana patient from Willimantic. "It makes economic sense." [continues 247 words]
With millions of people in line who can hardly wait to pay taxes, the dollar amount Connecticut could collect by regulating cannabis (marijuana) may be greater than anticipated (Think Green: Here's An Easy Way to Cut Our State's Deficit, Mar. 25, 2016). As Oregon's Mail Tribune newspaper reported (First Pot Tax Collections Higher Than Expected, March 26, 2016), the Oregon Department of Revenue collected $3.8 million in taxes from cannabis sales in January, which in that one month, was equal to what experts were expecting for the entire year. [continues 98 words]
Should police be permitted to use a drug-sniffing dog to roam the hallways of an apartment or condominium complex to search for contraband without getting a warrant from a judge? That is the question confronted by the state supreme court this week in a case called State v. Dennis Kono. Hiding underneath that are several other considerations of importance: should the police's power to search a person's residence be any different depending on whether the residence is an apartment, condominium or free-standing house; and should the search for contraband outweigh any Fourth Amendment rights we have as citizens? [continues 1199 words]
Should police be permitted to use a drug-sniffing dog to roam the hallways of an apartment or condominium complex to search for contraband without getting a warrant from a judge? That is the question confronted by the state supreme court this week in a case called State v. Dennis Kono. Hiding underneath that are several other considerations of importance: should the police's power to search a person's residence be any different depending on whether the residence is an apartment, condominium or free-standing house; and should the search for contraband outweigh any Fourth Amendment rights we have as citizens? [continues 1195 words]
Hartford (AP) - Even though two bills legalizing the recreational use of marijuana in Connecticut failed this session, proponents are seeking to keep the issue alive by holding a public informational meeting on the subject. Reps. Juan Candelaria and Toni Walker, both Democrats from New Haven, are seeking input on the pros and cons of marijuana legalization from experts and members of the public. The hearing is scheduled for Tuesday at the Legislative Office Building. It will run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. [continues 381 words]
HARTFORD (AP) - The Connecticut Supreme Court is set to hear arguments Thursday on whether a state employee who was fired for smoking marijuana on the job was punished too harshly and should be reinstated. Gregory Linhoff was fired from his maintenance job at the University of Connecticut Health Center in Farmington in 2012 after a police officer caught him smoking pot in a state vehicle. He had no previous disciplinary problems since being hired in 1998 and had received favorable job evaluations, according to his labor union. He was arrested, but the charges were later dismissed. [continues 212 words]
Old Lyme - As speakers at a community forum Thursday evening shared their or their loved ones' stories of recovering from heroin addiction, they were met with a standing ovation by more than 100 attendees. The forum at Lyme-Old Lyme Middle School, organized by the Community Action for Substance Free Youth under the Lymes' Youth Service Bureau, focused on treatment and prevention of opioid addiction. Parker Rodriguez told the audience that he grew up with a loving family in Lyme. At age 12, he had his first drink and went on to experiment with drugs. [continues 582 words]
Thanks, all of you spirited online commenters and phone-callers, for your varied and assertive messages reacting to my column last week in which I endorsed a proposed state law to legalize marijuana in the Nutmeg state. Somebody called me a "liberal" (ouch!) and hung up. Another person branded me "a well-known leftist" (I plead guilty to that, too) who has "a false regard for mankind, coupled with the usual cynical disregard for what your proposed policies would do to real living and breathing people." [continues 769 words]
HARTFORD (AP) - A lawyer for a labor union urged the Connecticut Supreme Court on Thursday to rule that firing a state worker caught smoking marijuana in a state-owned vehicle while on the job was too harsh a punishment. Gregory Linhoff was fired from his maintenance job at the University of Connecticut Health Center in Farmington in 2012 after a police officer caught him smoking pot. He had no previous disciplinary problems since being hired in 1998 and had received favorable job evaluations, according to his union. He was arrested, but the charges were later dismissed. [continues 122 words]
In the April Harper's Monthly, author Dan Baum argues convincingly for legalizing all drugs. He reveals that the "War on Drugs" was a sham from the start. The late, disgraced John Ehrlichman, Nixon's chief counsel, told him its real purpose was to discredit and harass enemies: antiwar hippies (marijuana) and blacks (heroin). Nixon's cynical war isn't merely an abject failure; it's created violent illegal trafficking, cost billions, and destroyed countless lives. Almost everyone, including new "drug czar" Michael Botticelli, knows criminalizing drugs hasn't worked. The only sensible solution is to legalize, shifting the billions saved from enforcement and incarceration to regulation and treatment. Now-nonexistent taxes gained by legalizing could boost overstressed municipal, state and federal budgets. [continues 89 words]
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) - A Connecticut marijuana bust has turned into a potential precedent-setting case on whether apartment and condo dwellers have the same rights as house owners when it comes to police using drug-sniffing dogs outside their homes. The state Supreme Court on Wednesday is scheduled to hear arguments in the case of Dennis Kono, who was arrested in 2012 after a police dog deployed without a warrant in a condo building hallway in Berlin smelled marijuana near his door. Berlin police then obtained a search warrant for Kono's condo and found several small marijuana plants, seeds, growing equipment and firearms. [continues 165 words]
As two of our forward-thinking state legislators have noted, it's high time we considered legalizing marijuana in Connecticut. State Rep. Roland Lemar and state Rep. Juan Candelaria, both New Haven-based Democrats, are co-sponsoring a bill that would legalize marijuana for recreational use. Although a Quinnipiac University poll last year found that 63 percent of Connecticut voters support legalizing small amounts of marijuana for recreational purposes, the bill's chance of passage is not deemed likely this time around. This is still, after all, the "Land of Steady Habits." [continues 805 words]
The state legislature's Public Health Committee approved what might be considered one of the most controversial proposals put before them in decades: medical marijuana for children. The bill, which now moves to the House for a vote, would give minors with severe epilepsy and terminal illnesses access to non-smokable marijuana, but only with parental consent and the approval of two doctors. It would be prescribed in pill or liquid form. The other conditions included in the bill include cerebral palsy, cystic fibrosis, uncontrolled intractable seizure disorders, or irreversible spinal cord injury with objective neurological indication of intractable spasticity. [continues 609 words]
The state legislature's Public Health Committee approved what might be considered one of the most controversial proposals put before them in decades: medical marijuana for children. The bill, which now moves to the House for a vote, would give minors with severe epilepsy and terminal illnesses access to non-smokable marijuana, but only with parental consent and the approval of two doctors. It would be prescribed in pill or liquid form. The other conditions included in the bill include cerebral palsy, cystic fibrosis, uncontrolled intractable seizure disorders, or irreversible spinal cord injury with objective neurological indication of intractable spasticity. [continues 607 words]
The state legislature's Public Health Committee approved what might be considered one of the most controversial proposals put before them in decades: medical marijuana for children. The bill, which now moves to the House for a vote, would give minors with severe epilepsy and terminal illnesses access to non-smokable marijuana, but only with parental consent and the approval of two doctors. It would be prescribed in pill or liquid form. The other conditions included in the bill include cerebral palsy, cystic fibrosis, uncontrolled intractable seizure disorders, or irreversible spinal cord injury with objective neurological indication of intractable spasticity. [continues 605 words]
Conn. Bill Would Limit Opioid Prescriptions Hartford (AP) - Connecticut lawmakers are seeking to place new limits on opioid prescriptions to help address the problem of deadly overdoses. The General Assembly's Public Health Committee forwarded a bill on Monday that would limit doctors to writing only seven-day prescriptions for first-time adult patients. Those patients would have to return to their physician to have a prescription refilled, possibly for a longer period. Democratic Sen. Terry Gerrantana, the committee's co-chairman, says lawmakers "realize what is happening in our communities" with the large number of deadly drug overdoses in Connecticut. The bill would also allow "standing orders" for pharmacists to prescribe opioid antagonists, such as Narcan, to friends and family of someone at risk of overdosing. The bill has received bipartisan support. It now awaits action in the state Senate. [end]
The state legislature should pass a law legalizing the use of marijuana for patients under 18. Children who have no other options should not be denied this medicine. The worst pain a parent can imagine is the loss of a child. Almost as devastating is to watch a child suffer. If the suffering continues for a long time, or repeats over and over again, the helplessness is agonizing for parents, who would do anything to stop it. Parents of children who suffer multiple seizures a day, and with those episodes, a constant risk of further disability and death, are asking the Connecticut General Assembly to legalize the use of marijuana for patients under 18. For some children it offers relief from the brutal cycle of seizures that make school and play impossible and may steal the ability even to walk and talk. [continues 475 words]
Slowly but surely, like the proverbial aircraft carrier, the U.S. government is changing to a new and better course on the long-neglected issue of opioid abuse and addiction. On Tuesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention took an emphatic stand against the loose prescribing norms that have fueled the growth of opioid consumption for non-cancer pain, with the terrible result that 16,000 people a year die from overdoses. Labeling the drugs "dangerous," and noting that evidence did not support their long-term efficacy for most cases of chronic pain, CDC Director Thomas Frieden urged physicians to follow more-cautious new CDC guidelines that emphasize alternative pain management techniques. Dr. Frieden and his colleagues deserve credit for incorporating a range of views in the guidelines while resisting pressure to weaken them from interest groups that support the status quo. [continues 393 words]
New Dispensaries Expected to Open This Summer The number of Connecticut's medical marijuana patients is likely to grow more quickly with the addition Monday of six new conditions that can be treated with cannabis. "I would expect there would be additional people," said state Consumer Protection Commissioner Jonathan Harris on Tuesday. "We're pleased that more people with serious diseases will have access to medicine that can help them with pain, with symptoms and their underlying disease conditions." The new conditions eligible for the program are sickle cell disease, postlaminectomy syndrome with chronic radiculopathy, severe psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig's disease), ulcerative colitis and complex regional pain syndrome. [continues 306 words]
New Dispensaries Expected to Open This Summer The number of Connecticut's medical marijuana patients is likely to grow more quickly with the addition Monday of six new conditions that can be treated with cannabis. "I would expect there would be additional people," said state Consumer Protection Commissioner Jonathan Harris on Tuesday. "We're pleased that more people with serious diseases will have access to medicine that can help them with pain, with symptoms and their underlying disease conditions." The new conditions eligible for the program are sickle cell disease, post-laminectomy syndrome with chronic radiculopathy, severe psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig's disease), ulcerative colitis and complex regional pain syndrome. [continues 306 words]
Montville Girl Had Moved to Maine for Access to Drug Montville - Just last week, Susan Meehan was in Hartford telling legislators that she left Connecticut to give her daughter, Cyndimae, a better life. But Cyndimae Meehan's life ended Sunday as she napped in her father's arms in Augusta, Maine. She was 13. The former Montville resident moved to Maine with her mother two years ago, as part of the family's fight for access to medical cannabis. Medical marijuana is not approved for pediatric use in Connecticut, but Cyndimae needed it to treat her Dravet syndrome, a rare form of epilepsy. "She was a happy kid, she really was," Susan Meehan said Tuesday. "In between seizures, she had a smile on her face." [continues 732 words]
I'm sure the Connecticut Association of Prevention Professionals means well ("Marijuana Bill Draws Criticism, March 3"), however opposing cannabis (marijuana) legalization increases hard drug addiction rates, which is what Connecticut is experiencing. Selling cannabis in a regulated market removes sales from people who may also sell hard drugs. Some citizens who legitimately use opioids for medical conditions may choose cannabis if it is available over the counter like in Colorado. That could lower hard drug addiction rates. The plant hasn't killed anyone in over 5,000 years of documented use; that's safety on a Biblical scale. [continues 122 words]
This letter is in response to the Feb. 15 headline about state Rep. Matthew Lesser backing legalizing pot for recreational use. Adults, especially our leaders, have to know that marijuana use only leads to heavier usage of other drugs. I do not feel anyone needs more recreational toys and habits in this category and am really shocked that any adult feels this is a contribution to one's life. Please wake up and say no to drugs of any kind. From a concerned mother, grandmother and neighbor. - - Betty Meyer, Higganum [end]
Linda Lloyd doesn't want to leave her home in Pawcatuck, where her 6-year-old son, Henry, attends "the best school ... he could possibly attend" and has a support network of family and friends close by. "Please don't force me to move out of state and leave my home in order to give my son a fighting chance," Lloyd told the state legislature's Public Health Committee during a hearing earlier this month. Lloyd, testifying for the first time at the General Assembly, was among eight parents and more than 20 others supporting legalization of medical marijuana for their children and others with debilitating seizure disorders and other conditions that have not responded to traditional pharmaceuticals. [continues 1031 words]
Norwich - If they're still breathing, there's hope. When somebody overdoses on heroin and is treated in the emergency room at The William W. Backus Hospital, they speak to an outreach worker before they leave. It's one of the steps members the Norwich Heroin Task Force, comprising social services agencies, health care providers, police and others are taking as they try to get a handle on the growing number of heroin- and opiate- addicted residents in the region. More than 120 people attended a forum on the growing public health crisis Thursday, with presentations from social workers, doctors, addiction specialists and parents of addicted children. [continues 869 words]
To the Editor: I'm sure the Connecticut Association of Prevention Professionals means well ("Marijuana Bill Draws Criticism, March 3"), however opposing cannabis (marijuana) legalization increases hard drug addiction rates, which is what Connecticut is experiencing. Selling cannabis in a regulated market removes sales from people who may also sell hard drugs. Some citizens who legitimately use opioids for medical conditions may choose cannabis if it is available over the counter like in Colorado. That could lower hard drug addiction rates. The plant hasn't killed anyone in over 5,000 years of documented use; that's safety on a Biblical scale. [continues 122 words]
Awareness Forum Addresses Growing Opioid Epidemic GOSHEN - "Northwest Connecticut has been reeling from an unfortunate epidemic," began Brian Ohler, director of the United Coalition of Northwest Connecticut to an audience of 25 at the Goshen Center School, "one that is plagued by rampant drug-related overdose deaths." Ohler moderated an Opioid Awareness Forum at 50 North St. Saturday. Various area drug counselors and health workers discussed the subject of the burgeoning heroin epidemic and treatment options and possible solutions in Litchfield County. Audience members included health care workers, concerned local politicians, and bereaved mothers. [continues 1321 words]
Approved, Then Rescinded, West River Road Site May Be Appealed MILFORD - A state-approved-medical marijuana dispensary slated to open at 255 West River Road and opposed by nearby residential neighbors, is having an unexpected bumpy ride at the local level. A zoning permit that would allow the facility to open was both approved and rescinded on the same day. The city's Zoning Enforcement Officer approved the application of Arrow Alternative Care #2 for a dispensary on Feb. 23, a day after the application was submitted. [continues 593 words]
HARTFORD - Bills that would legalize marijuana for recreational use in Connecticut are considered a longshot by most political observers, but opponents want to make sure it stays that way. That's why the Connecticut Association of Prevention Professionals held a press conference this week at the Legislative Office Building in Hartford. "Marijuana is not a harmless drug," said John Daviau, executive director of CAPP. Daviau, a community psychologist, was the main speaker at the press conference. He said they don't want politicians to be lured into believing that legalizing recreational marijuana would be "a financial boon" for Connecticut during a time when the state's facing a $1.2 billion deficit over the next 18 months. [continues 389 words]
Inside Connecticut
