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The latest bill to expand the medical marijuana program is only days old, but Gov. Chris Christie said he already knows he won't sign it. The bill would allow registered medical marijuana patients in New Jersey to buy the drug in another state where it's legal and bring it home. Six of the 19 states and Washington D.C. that have medical marijuana programs have such reciprocity agreements by which they recognize patients outside of their own state.
Christie told reporters today he is "not open to it," and believes it's just a back door way to legalize marijuana for everyone. "See this is what happens. Every time you sign one expansion, then the advocates will come back and ask for another one," the governor said during a press conference from his statehouse office this afternoon. "Here's what the advocates want: they want legalization of marijuana in New Jersey. It will not happen on my watch, ever. I am done expanding the medical marijuana program under any circumstances. So we're done."
"There's no outpouring of people signing up for this program," Christie added. "This is another one of those narrow group-think policies put forward by the Legislature and I'm not going to continue to expand it. Because what they want is legalization. They're not getting legalization under this governor." The idea for the bill came from Meghan and Brian Wilson of Scotch Plains, who earlier this year waged a successful public battle to loosen the restrictions of the state program for kids on behalf of their 2-1/2-year-old daughter, Vivian, diagnosed with a serious form of drug-resistant epilepsy. The Wilsons had hoped they could buy a rare strain of pot here that is produced in edible form by a Colorado grower that has shown to reduce the severity and frequency of seizures in other children.
But despite changes Christie made this summer to make a wider variety of marijuana strains and products available, the Wilsons say they are no closer to a remedy. The two operating medical marijuana dispensaries in the state are not producing edible products yet. The Wilsons learned how to cook the product down to an oil, but the state Health Department's laboratory is not yet capable of testing the product's potency. Brian Wilson, reached by email after the press conference, expressed frustration with the governor's comments.
"'There's no outpouring of people signing up for this program' because who wants to spend $200 on sign-up fees plus the countless doctors fees, not covered by insurance, to participate in a program that cannot serve the current client base?" There are 1,500 registered patients in New Jersey's medicinal marijuana program, which opened a year ago this week, according to the state Health Department. Assemblywoman Linda Stender, (D-Union) who sponsored the bill, said she doubted the governor even read the bill. "It's not about marijuana legalization for recreational use, this is about legitimate access for sick people who need it," she said. "It infuriates me he is so cold-hearted to the needs of the people he is supposed to represent."
News Moderator - The General @ 420 MAGAZINE ®
Source: Nj.com
Author: Susan K. Livio
Contact: Contact Us - NJ.com
Website: Chris Christie says no to bill expanding medical marijuana program | NJ.com
Christie told reporters today he is "not open to it," and believes it's just a back door way to legalize marijuana for everyone. "See this is what happens. Every time you sign one expansion, then the advocates will come back and ask for another one," the governor said during a press conference from his statehouse office this afternoon. "Here's what the advocates want: they want legalization of marijuana in New Jersey. It will not happen on my watch, ever. I am done expanding the medical marijuana program under any circumstances. So we're done."
"There's no outpouring of people signing up for this program," Christie added. "This is another one of those narrow group-think policies put forward by the Legislature and I'm not going to continue to expand it. Because what they want is legalization. They're not getting legalization under this governor." The idea for the bill came from Meghan and Brian Wilson of Scotch Plains, who earlier this year waged a successful public battle to loosen the restrictions of the state program for kids on behalf of their 2-1/2-year-old daughter, Vivian, diagnosed with a serious form of drug-resistant epilepsy. The Wilsons had hoped they could buy a rare strain of pot here that is produced in edible form by a Colorado grower that has shown to reduce the severity and frequency of seizures in other children.
But despite changes Christie made this summer to make a wider variety of marijuana strains and products available, the Wilsons say they are no closer to a remedy. The two operating medical marijuana dispensaries in the state are not producing edible products yet. The Wilsons learned how to cook the product down to an oil, but the state Health Department's laboratory is not yet capable of testing the product's potency. Brian Wilson, reached by email after the press conference, expressed frustration with the governor's comments.
"'There's no outpouring of people signing up for this program' because who wants to spend $200 on sign-up fees plus the countless doctors fees, not covered by insurance, to participate in a program that cannot serve the current client base?" There are 1,500 registered patients in New Jersey's medicinal marijuana program, which opened a year ago this week, according to the state Health Department. Assemblywoman Linda Stender, (D-Union) who sponsored the bill, said she doubted the governor even read the bill. "It's not about marijuana legalization for recreational use, this is about legitimate access for sick people who need it," she said. "It infuriates me he is so cold-hearted to the needs of the people he is supposed to represent."
News Moderator - The General @ 420 MAGAZINE ®
Source: Nj.com
Author: Susan K. Livio
Contact: Contact Us - NJ.com
Website: Chris Christie says no to bill expanding medical marijuana program | NJ.com
