Consumer Protection commissioner William Rubenstein, alongside Governor Dannel Malloy, announced on Tuesday that four applicants have been chosen as the first-ever producers of medical marijuana in Connecticut. Rubenstein said Connecticut is the first state medical marijuana program based on the medical model, including physician certification, production facilities operating as pharmaceutical manufacturers, and licensed pharmacists dispensing medical marijuana. The selected producers are located in Portland, Simsbury, Watertown, and West Haven.
State Forests and Park Lands Could be Sold
According to Connecticut’s Council on Environmental Quality, the majority of the state’s forests and park lands could potentially be sold. Eric Hammerling, head of the Connecticut Forest and Parks Association, confirmed that most state land deeds for conservation space don't require perpetual conservation. Karl Wagener of the Council on Environmental Quality said the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection can't sell conservation lands, but it can gift or exchange open space through land transfers to a requesting town. If DEEP denies the request, Wagener said towns can go to the legislature.
Polar Adventurer Advocates for Climate Change Legislation
Parker Liautaud is not only a Yale University sophomore -- he is also a polar adventurer who just returned from an expedition. He and another explorer broke the world record for the fastest unsupported trek from the coast of Antarctica to the South Pole. He plans to use his new found fame to highlight the urgency of addressing climate change.
United Illuminating Tree Removal Decision
The Public Utilities Regulatory Authority is expected to issue a final decision on whether United Illuminating can move forward with its ambitious tree-cutting plan, developed in response to recent severe weather and ice storms, which knocked down trees, and left hundreds of thousands without power. The plan came to a halt when conservationists and the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection voiced concerns over the extent of the planned work, which includes trimming or removing any tree that falls within an eight-foot radius utility poles or wires.
