700 register for medical marijuana

People suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder so far represent the largest group of Connecticut residents who have registered with the Consumer Protection Department to use medical marijuana.

Of the 735 people who have registered with the agency to use medical marijuana, 212 name PTSD as their primary qualifying condition, according to a report from the Office of Legislative Research, which used statistics from early July.

One hundred and ninety two patients with spinal cord injuries also registered, as did 141 patients with multiple sclerosis. Another 192 people have registered with various other conditions.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, PTSD

is a condition developed by some people who have experienced terrifying ordeals. It is widely associated with soldiers returning from combat situations, but can be experienced by violent crime victims and people who have survived traumatic accidents or natural disasters.

The disorder is often treated through “talk therapy” or with antidepressants such as Zoloft and Paxil among other drugs, according to the institute.

Dr. Carolyn Drazinic, assistant professor at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine’s Department of Psychiatry and president of the Connecticut Psychiatric Society, said many psychiatrists in the state were surprised the disorder was added to the list of ailments that qualify someone to use medical marijuana.

Although there are studies suggesting cannabis helps treat many of the illnesses included in the law, Drazinic said that is not the case with PTSD.

Drazinic did not rule out that future studies could suggest marijuana is a viable treatment, but said for now that research has not been done.

However, there are anecdotal accounts suggesting the substance has been helpful to some suffering from PTSD.

Last month, Maine added PTSD as a qualifying condition for patients seeking marijuana under that state’s palliative use law. Eighteen other states have laws allowing for medicinal use of the substance and several have allowed it for treatment of post traumatic stress.

Consumer Protection Commissioner William Rubenstein said people should be cautious of drawing conclusions from the program’s statistics so far.

“It’s a very small sample. This program is just getting up and running,” he said.

Connecticut last year passed legislation legalizing palliative use of marijuana. The law allows people with certain debilitating illnesses to access cannabis with a doctor’s recommendation. The law calls for the substance to be distributed through a licensed pharmacist.

Lawmakers approved about a dozen ailments that can qualify someone to use the substance with a doctor’s note. But the legislature gave the Consumer Protection Department authority to make the drug available to people suffering from additional conditions when it is recommended by a board of physicians.

The agency also is tasked with developing regulations governing the process of growing and distributing marijuana to patients in Connecticut. In April the department heard public testi- mony on its draft rules.

Rubenstein said the department submitted revised regulations to the legislature’s Regulation Review Committee in June. He said he expects the committee to take up the regulations when they meet next month.

Meanwhile, the state has authorized patients with recommendations from doctors to register with the DCP for a fee. Registered patients are permitted to possess a small amount of marijuana. So far 91 doctors have registered with the state to issue patient recommendations.

The average age of a registered medical marijuana patient in Connecticut is 42.8, according to OLR. The report also found men have registered in greater numbers than women by a threeto-one margin.