EXCLUSIVE: ‘I Graduated Cum Laude Because I Used Weed,’ Says Cannabis Expert Urging Protection Of Medical Marijuana Programs
Erin Gorman Kirk, cannabis ombudsman from the state of Connecticut, spoke to the importance of protecting medical marijuana patients as the state transitioned to recreational at Benzinga’s Cannabis Capital Conference on Wednesday.
Many patients are giving up on medical marijuana program and shifting to adult use, Kirk noted.
Due to the lack of original producers and seeds in the ground, “There are very few products for patients right now,” she said. “We had a very good medical system, starting in 2012 and you could get all kinds of things. You could get tea from Bigelow Tea, which is a very conservative company, but they made amazing tea that our veterans loved.”
Now, the three main complaints Kirk is getting are a lack of consistent medication, high prices and poor quality.
“We are trying to get new producers online, but we don’t want to have another lottery because we don’t want to be Oklahoma.“
Matt Hawkins, the founder and managing partner of Entourage Effect Capital, a venture capital firm investing exclusively in the cannabis industry, said this scenario is commonly seen across the nation in states that transition to …