Conn. Medical Marijuana Cultivator Aiming To Produce Prescription Pot In 4 Months
HARTFORD, Conn. (CBSNewYork) - A Simsbury-based medical marijuana cultivator is one of four producers selected Tuesday by the state to begin operations.
As WCBS 880 Connecticut Bureau Chief Fran Schneidau reported, Curaleaf is run by Greenwich resident Robert Birnbaum.
He said his consultants are already lining up workers at marijuana growing facilities outside of Connecticut to be ready to meet the demand by early summer.
Conn. Medical Marijuana Cultivator Aiming To Produce Prescription Pot In 4 Months
Birnbaum said the pharmaceutical grade marijuana produced will be of the purest and highest quality. He notes it will be missing the one ingredient popular with those who have been buying marijuana illegally.
"A lot of pharmaceutical grade marijuana actually has the psychoactive ingredients removed. That is, you don't get high from it. The purpose is to alleviate pain or treat other conditions," Birnbaum told Schneidau.
Birnbaum says patients can take a dose of this in the morning without side effects and head straight to work.
Curaleaf could be providing medical marijuana to dispensaries in Connecticut in about four months, Schneidau reported.
"The price will ultimately be set by the market. But if you look at a state like New Jersey where medical marijuana is legal now, a month's supply for a qualified patient is about $400 to $500," said Birnbaum.
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy and other officials announced the selection Tuesday of four producers who will operate facilities in West Haven, Portland, Simsbury and Watertown.
Nearly 1,700 people statewide have been certified to receive medical marijuana for one of 11 approved ailments.
Connecticut's medical marijuana law was passed in 2012 .
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