CONNECTICUT'S PUSH FOR MEDICAL MARIJUANA
Marijuana Law in Connecticut Gains Ground
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By STACEY STOWE
Published: June 11, 2007
HARTFORD, June 10 — Seventeen years ago, Mark Braunstein dived 60 feet off a footbridge into a river, landed wrong and became a paraplegic. A librarian at Connecticut College, Mr. Braunstein, 55, walks with the aid of crutches and leg braces. He smokes marijuana every three days or so to control the pain and spasms in his feet that would otherwise immobilize him.
To alleviate pain and spasms, Mark Braunstein smokes marijuana, which he buys from a friend.
“I grew it in my woods, but the penalties for cultivation are higher than for possession, so people are forced to patronize the black market,” said Mr. Braunstein, who lives in Waterford. “I have a friend who grows it organically, and I buy it from him.”
In addition to potential legal jeopardy, people who use marijuana for medical reasons endure a financial pinch, he said, as an ounce can cost $300 to $400, depending on its quality. For five years, Mr. Braunstein and others have pressed the Connecticut General Assembly for an alternative. A few weeks ago, they came closer to getting one.
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