(a) The Commissioner of Consumer Protection shall establish a Board of Physicians consisting of eight physicians or surgeons who are knowledgeable about the palliative use of marijuana and certified by the appropriate American board in the medical specialty in which they practice, at least one of whom shall be a board certified pediatrician appointed in consultation with the Connecticut Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Four of the members of the board first appointed shall serve for a term of three years and four of the members of the board first appointed shall serve for a term of four years. Thereafter, members of the board shall serve for a term of four years and shall be eligible for reappointment. Any member of the board may serve until a successor is appointed. The Commissioner of Consumer Protection shall serve as an ex-officio member of the board, and shall select a chairperson from among the members of the board.

(b) A quorum of the Board of Physicians shall consist of four members.

(c) The Board of Physicians shall:

(1) Review and recommend to the Department of Consumer Protection for approval the debilitating medical conditions, medical treatments or diseases to be added to the list of debilitating medical conditions that qualify for the palliative use of marijuana for qualifying patients eighteen years of age or older;

(2) Review and recommend to the Department of Consumer Protection for approval any illnesses that are severely debilitating, as defined in 21 CFR 312.81(b), to be added to the list of debilitating medical conditions that qualify for the palliative use of marijuana for qualifying patients under eighteen years of age, taking into account, among other things, the effect of the palliative use of marijuana on the brain development of such patients;

(3) Accept and review petitions to add medical conditions, medical treatments or diseases to the list of debilitating medical conditions that qualify for the palliative use of marijuana;

(4) Convene at least twice per year to conduct public hearings and to evaluate petitions, which shall be maintained as confidential pursuant to subsection (e) of this section, for the purpose of adding medical conditions, medical treatments or diseases to the list of debilitating medical conditions that qualify for the palliative use of marijuana;

(5) Review and recommend to the Department of Consumer Protection protocols for determining the amounts of marijuana that may be reasonably necessary to ensure uninterrupted availability for a period of one month for qualifying patients, including amounts for topical treatments; and

(6) Perform other duties related to the palliative use of marijuana upon the request of the Commissioner of Consumer Protection.

(d) The Board of Physicians may review the list of debilitating medical conditions that qualify for the palliative use of marijuana and make recommendations to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to general law and public health for the removal of a debilitating medical condition, medical treatment or disease from such list.

(e) Any individually identifiable health information contained in a petition received under this section shall be confidential and shall not be subject to disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act, as defined in section 1-200.

(P.A. 12-55, S. 13; P.A. 16-23, S. 9.)

History: P.A. 12-55 effective May 31, 2012; P.A. 16-23 amended Subsec. (a) by deleting list of specialties and by adding provisions re certification of physicians in medical specialty in which they practice and at least one member to be board certified pediatrician, amended Subsec. (b) by increasing quorum from 3 members to 4 members, amended Subsec. (c) by adding reference to patients age 18 or older in Subdiv. (1), adding new Subdiv. (2) re review and recommendation for approval of illnesses that are severely debilitating to be added to list of debilitating medical conditions, and redesignating existing Subdivs. (2) to (5) as Subdivs. (3) to (6), added new Subsec. (d) re recommendation for removal of debilitating medical condition, medical treatment or disease from the list, and redesignated existing Subsec. (d) re individually identifiable health information as Subsec. (e).