PLEASE READ THIS AND LET THE DCP KNOW WHAT YOU THINK: CT MMP ADVERTISING GUIDE
Welcome to the Connecticut Medical Marijuana Patient Repository.
For the patients, by the patients.
Contact Us - [email protected]
I encourage all patients to reach out to the DCP and the producers as well as dispensaries to suggest improvements in our program. Since sales first began in September of 2014, there have only been a few positive changes: rescinding sales tax in April 2015, and the transition to whole flowers; both of which should have never been in place initially. Here are a few ways our program can be enhanced for everyone.
The expiration date that is printed on the package label is dated one year after the “Packaged Date,” which is misleading to patients – it should list when the cannabinoid/potency testing results expire, which all other cannabis testing labs in the country list as an expiry date of 90 days maximum after the testing date. It is well-known that cannabinoids and terpenoids degrade over time, and/or synthesize into other cannabinoids, which alters the medicinal value and testing results. For instance, Theraplant's "Raekacet-2" strain was harvested on 4/14/15, then packaged 5 months later on 9/14/15, and has an expiration date of 9/14/16. The cannabis flower will not be anywhere near as medicinally effective after 17 months. Several products have a 30-day (or longer) gap between the "testing date" and "packaged date." A lab test for “Moisture Content” would also be extremely beneficial and crucial to patients, so it can be adjusted for when determining cannabinoid profiles, to reflect proper curing of the flower, and show the moisture content for concentrates, notably because patients are not allowed sensory evaluation of any product. The differences between a sample with a moisture content of 5% and a sample of 15% is rather substantial, and high moisture content could lead to burn hazards during vaporization due to water retention and improper purging, as well as potential growth of fungi, bacteria, and/or mold.
Patients need to be allowed to have access to all of the state dispensaries simultaneously. Many patients have two dispensaries within 30 miles, and many also have several family members among other reasons to be in different counties throughout the state. Patients should be able to make use of any facility; especially when each dispensary sets their prices individually and not all of them order the same products and/or have the same products in stock at the same time. As patients, and consumers, we should be able to “shop around” and should be able to go elsewhere if we need a certain product that is out of stock. Patients are able to switch facilities 4 times per year, but there is no reason why patients cannot take advantage of better prices or go to a dispensary with different stock. A patient cannot drive the 6 miles down the road between Arrow/Prime Wellness to capitalize on better prices, weekly specials, or inventory that one may have that the other does not. Patients cannot go to a different dispensary if one is out of stock of the medicine they need. If a patient is visiting family in Bristol, Norwich, Bethel, etc., they cannot go into The Healing Corner, Thames Valley, or Compassionate Care and fill their prescription. Patients are able to do this with any other controlled substance at Walgreens, CVS, etc., and patients are not being protected as consumers if they are being forced to pay more for the same exact product and not given the option to go elsewhere if they need a certain product that may be out of stock. This would also help stabilize and normalize pricing, as well as generate more business for the dispensaries via exposure to the whole patient base, rather than a select number.
Patients need to be granted more discretion, information, freedom and latitude in regards to what we are buying as consumers. The only means of representation products have to patients is the cannabinoid and terpenoid testing results, which ultimately becomes questionable since testing results will change as time lapses. Additionally, since the analysis is a result of three one-gram samples for every 5,000-6,000 (4%-5%) grams harvested (which may be packaged at different time intervals) it is not very accurate. Visual and aromatic inspection would be far more informative and educational to patients. The cannabinoid and terpenoid analysis are certainly helpful and beneficial, and are crucial for non-flower (i.e. edible) forms, but sensory inspection is far more informative specifically for raw flower and concentrates. There is no reason patients cannot be privy to what they are buying as consumers, and no reason to not have a designated “sample” package for patients to optionally inspect, rather than blindly making a purchase and hoping it is something you expected, and then if it is not, being unable to make an exchange if the seal is broken.
Monthly Allotment and "Usable Marijuana Equivalent" issues. When buying concentrates, the vastly different ratios that each product removes from the 70 gram monthly allotment makes it completely unfeasible and impossible to implement the recommended regimen of one gram of concentrate per day. No other medical state has a "concentrate to flower" ratio and it is extremely prohibitive to patients staying on a regimen, and turns patients to the "black market." Cannabidiol (CBD) is also weighted differently in relation to the allotment as opposed to THC. For instance, Theraplant’s CBD cream removes 0.1 grams. Why is this not reflected on CBD flower also? Additionally, one gram of CPS Fiora-Blend Wax concentrate, which tested at 29% THC and 36% CBD, removes 1.2 grams of allotment, while one gram of CPS Lexikan Kief concentrate removes 1 gram of allotment, which tested at 57% THC. Conversely, one gram of AGL Hash concentrate which tested at 62% THC removes 5 grams of allotment. One more example - AGL Cannabidiol A Shatter (38.1% THC, 49.4% CBD) removes 1.7 grams, and CPS Fioraleve A (30.37% THC, 50.25% CBD) removes 0.61 grams. It seems there is no standard mathematical formula that all 4 producers use to determine the amount of “usable marijuana” for each product.
If non-psychoactive cannabinoids such as CBD are weighted differently in relation to the 70 gram allotment, that should also be true for THCA. THCA itself is non-psychoactive and has exclusive medicinal properties, and it is unfair to assume that every single patient will be decarboxylating it into THC. It is very common for patients to juice cannabis, ingest it raw, or brew cannabis tea, all of which will not decarboxylate THCA into THC. These issues, along with no home cultivation, are also contributing to patients exceeding their monthly limit. Perhaps the monthly allotment should be revised to “70 grams of activated THC,” or to something more reasonable similar to Massachusetts or Rhode Island.
Thank you for reading. Please leave any comments, questions, thoughts, or suggestions below. Hopefully if we keep respectfully making our voices heard, they will listen and positive changes will come for everyone involved in the program.
The expiration date that is printed on the package label is dated one year after the “Packaged Date,” which is misleading to patients – it should list when the cannabinoid/potency testing results expire, which all other cannabis testing labs in the country list as an expiry date of 90 days maximum after the testing date. It is well-known that cannabinoids and terpenoids degrade over time, and/or synthesize into other cannabinoids, which alters the medicinal value and testing results. For instance, Theraplant's "Raekacet-2" strain was harvested on 4/14/15, then packaged 5 months later on 9/14/15, and has an expiration date of 9/14/16. The cannabis flower will not be anywhere near as medicinally effective after 17 months. Several products have a 30-day (or longer) gap between the "testing date" and "packaged date." A lab test for “Moisture Content” would also be extremely beneficial and crucial to patients, so it can be adjusted for when determining cannabinoid profiles, to reflect proper curing of the flower, and show the moisture content for concentrates, notably because patients are not allowed sensory evaluation of any product. The differences between a sample with a moisture content of 5% and a sample of 15% is rather substantial, and high moisture content could lead to burn hazards during vaporization due to water retention and improper purging, as well as potential growth of fungi, bacteria, and/or mold.
Patients need to be allowed to have access to all of the state dispensaries simultaneously. Many patients have two dispensaries within 30 miles, and many also have several family members among other reasons to be in different counties throughout the state. Patients should be able to make use of any facility; especially when each dispensary sets their prices individually and not all of them order the same products and/or have the same products in stock at the same time. As patients, and consumers, we should be able to “shop around” and should be able to go elsewhere if we need a certain product that is out of stock. Patients are able to switch facilities 4 times per year, but there is no reason why patients cannot take advantage of better prices or go to a dispensary with different stock. A patient cannot drive the 6 miles down the road between Arrow/Prime Wellness to capitalize on better prices, weekly specials, or inventory that one may have that the other does not. Patients cannot go to a different dispensary if one is out of stock of the medicine they need. If a patient is visiting family in Bristol, Norwich, Bethel, etc., they cannot go into The Healing Corner, Thames Valley, or Compassionate Care and fill their prescription. Patients are able to do this with any other controlled substance at Walgreens, CVS, etc., and patients are not being protected as consumers if they are being forced to pay more for the same exact product and not given the option to go elsewhere if they need a certain product that may be out of stock. This would also help stabilize and normalize pricing, as well as generate more business for the dispensaries via exposure to the whole patient base, rather than a select number.
Patients need to be granted more discretion, information, freedom and latitude in regards to what we are buying as consumers. The only means of representation products have to patients is the cannabinoid and terpenoid testing results, which ultimately becomes questionable since testing results will change as time lapses. Additionally, since the analysis is a result of three one-gram samples for every 5,000-6,000 (4%-5%) grams harvested (which may be packaged at different time intervals) it is not very accurate. Visual and aromatic inspection would be far more informative and educational to patients. The cannabinoid and terpenoid analysis are certainly helpful and beneficial, and are crucial for non-flower (i.e. edible) forms, but sensory inspection is far more informative specifically for raw flower and concentrates. There is no reason patients cannot be privy to what they are buying as consumers, and no reason to not have a designated “sample” package for patients to optionally inspect, rather than blindly making a purchase and hoping it is something you expected, and then if it is not, being unable to make an exchange if the seal is broken.
Monthly Allotment and "Usable Marijuana Equivalent" issues. When buying concentrates, the vastly different ratios that each product removes from the 70 gram monthly allotment makes it completely unfeasible and impossible to implement the recommended regimen of one gram of concentrate per day. No other medical state has a "concentrate to flower" ratio and it is extremely prohibitive to patients staying on a regimen, and turns patients to the "black market." Cannabidiol (CBD) is also weighted differently in relation to the allotment as opposed to THC. For instance, Theraplant’s CBD cream removes 0.1 grams. Why is this not reflected on CBD flower also? Additionally, one gram of CPS Fiora-Blend Wax concentrate, which tested at 29% THC and 36% CBD, removes 1.2 grams of allotment, while one gram of CPS Lexikan Kief concentrate removes 1 gram of allotment, which tested at 57% THC. Conversely, one gram of AGL Hash concentrate which tested at 62% THC removes 5 grams of allotment. One more example - AGL Cannabidiol A Shatter (38.1% THC, 49.4% CBD) removes 1.7 grams, and CPS Fioraleve A (30.37% THC, 50.25% CBD) removes 0.61 grams. It seems there is no standard mathematical formula that all 4 producers use to determine the amount of “usable marijuana” for each product.
If non-psychoactive cannabinoids such as CBD are weighted differently in relation to the 70 gram allotment, that should also be true for THCA. THCA itself is non-psychoactive and has exclusive medicinal properties, and it is unfair to assume that every single patient will be decarboxylating it into THC. It is very common for patients to juice cannabis, ingest it raw, or brew cannabis tea, all of which will not decarboxylate THCA into THC. These issues, along with no home cultivation, are also contributing to patients exceeding their monthly limit. Perhaps the monthly allotment should be revised to “70 grams of activated THC,” or to something more reasonable similar to Massachusetts or Rhode Island.
Thank you for reading. Please leave any comments, questions, thoughts, or suggestions below. Hopefully if we keep respectfully making our voices heard, they will listen and positive changes will come for everyone involved in the program.