As the nation's first cannabis ombudsman, Erin Gorman Kirk looks after medical marijuana patients' needs, advocates for their interests, and works to build relationships with the state's various cannabis growers and cultivators. She also works with the Department of Consumer Protection, which is the watchdog for the medical and adult-use cannabis markets in the state.
Now on the job for a full year, Kirk said the 2025 legislative session included a few measures that she said would help Connecticut compete with neighboring states.
"In an effort to keep our patients here and to maybe capture travelers, vacationers, concert goers and others, we're doing reciprocity of medical cards, so that if others are coming through the state, they can shop here," she said. "We have a lot of our patients … going from Maine to New Jersey. What we're trying to do is give them a reason to stay in Connecticut."
Since adult use became legal in the state in January 2023 there has been a precipitous decline in the number of registered medical marijuana patients in the state, from around 50,000 to just 34,000 as of May 2025.
Read more at CT News Junkie