NewHavenBIZ

8 n e w h a v e n B I Z | O c t o b e r 2 0 1 8 n e w h a v e n b i z . c o m T R E N D I N G B E Y O N D T H E H E A D L I N E S Medical marijuana industry ramps up in region J oseph DeLuca of East Haven provides a vivid example of one of the more than 28,000 patients in Connecticut who have found relief from a host of ailments due to the state's rapidly ramping up medical marijuana program. DeLuca, who is being treated for Stage IV cancer, has used medical marijuana for the past year. Due to the effectiveness of the treatments, DeLuca is preparing to renew for a second year in the program. "Used correctly it has great ben- efits," DeLuca says. "e CBD helps with GI tract issues, and the THC just helps me sleep." Despite his medical struggles, DeLuca's experience as a medical marijuana patient has been an overwhelmingly positive one. As a result, entrepreneurs throughout the state are seeking to capitalize on the growing demand for natural alternatives to traditional medical treatments. Laurie Zrenda was one of the first business owners to enter an indus- try that was previously uncharted territory in Connecticut. Zrenda had worked at a retail pharmacy for 27 years and decided to apply for a medical marijuana license along with her niece in 2013. "We pretty much drained our 401(k)s and borrowed money from our family and friends," Zrenda explains. In September 2014, ames Val- ley Alternative Relief of Uncasville became one of the first six facilities to be approved to provide medical marijuana to qualified patients in Connecticut. When she first opened the business, Zrenda would typically see between six to ten patients each day. By 2018, that number had soared to 250 to 350 a day. As part of her fourth anniversary celebra- tion event last month, Zrenda saw a Cancer patient DeLuca has used legal cannabis for a year. 'Used correctly it has great benefits,' he says. record 490 patients come through the door. Her overall patient count has grown from 118 registered patients to more than 3,300. "In the beginning it was pretty quiet, it was very slow to get going," Zrenda recalls. "Being federally ille- gal, there's always that nervousness. But it just keeps getting bigger." ere are currently just nine medical marijuana dispensary facilities in the state, including four in New Haven County — two in Milford and on each in Branford and Waterbury. DeLuca, along with fellow East Havener David Cusano, receive treatment at Bluepoint Wellness of Connecticut. e Branford dispensary was founded in 2013 by a pharmacist seeking to provide medication-related care "for the purpose of achieving outcomes that improve patients' quality of life," according to the facility's website. Cusano is being treated for anxiety and to aid in sleep. He has been prescribed medical cannabis for four years. "e ability to obtain and use medical marijuana has certainly im- proved my life," Cusano says. "Being able to walk into a dispensary, find a strain to treat a specific symptom and know exactly what you are get- ting is like a dream come true." Many opponents of medical marijuana assume that patients are seeking to abuse the drug for its psychoactive effects rather than using it for legitimate medical purposes. However, patients like Cusano say the opposite is true. "e stigmas that once existed are becoming less and less due to the real research and medical ben- efits of the plant," Cusano says. "It is not always about getting 'high'; it is about improving your quality of life." Supporters of the industry assert that the use of regulated medical marijuana is a safer alternative to highly addictive prescription drugs. ere are also many mari- juana derivative products that can provide medical benefits without the effect of getting high, Zrenda explains. For patients like DeLuca, canna- bidiol (CBD), the non-intoxicating compound in marijuana, has been shown to improve four main issues for cancer patients: pain, nausea, anxiety and loss of appetite. "It's such a great drug for that," Zrenda says. "It does so much for cancer patients all in one shot." According to the DCP, there are currently 28,197 patients registered in the state's medical marijuana program. New Haven County ranks second statewide, with 6,495 registered patients. In order to be eligible for treatment in the program, a patient must be diagnosed with a qualifying medical condition by a Connecticut-licensed physician. ere are also several conditions approved for patients under age 18. Earlier this year, the state added eight new ailments to its approved list of qualifying conditions, a move that will likely increase business for dispensary owners. According to Zrenda, there is currently a new batch of dispen- sary applications pending on the state level. e DCP is now in the process of reviewing applications received in April and will approve up to ten additional facilities, according to Zrenda. "I don't see the business going anywhere," she says. n — Holly M. LaPrade

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