Connecticut’s medical marijuana patient pool surges

The number of medical marijuana patients registered with the state of Connecticut has surged 44% since mid-December, which should mean a sizable sales boost for the state’s MMJ dispensaries.

The number of MMJ patients registered with the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection stood at 11,058 as of June 19, up from 7,665 as of Dec. 15, according to the Hartford Business Journal reported.

New Haven County leads the way with 2,702 patients, followed by Hartford County with 2,466 patients, Fairfield County with 2,377 patient, and New London County with 1,231 patients. Together, the four other counties have slightly less than 2,300 between them.

In February, Connecticut expanded its list of qualifying MMJ conditions to 17 from 11 by adding: Lou Gehrig’s disease; ulcerative colitis; sickle cell disease; severe psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis; complex regional pain syndrome; and recurring back pain after surgery.

And in January the state expanded the number of dispensaries from six to nine. The three new dispensaries haven’t yet opened, but may do so later this summer.