Robert Celt
New Member
Gov. Chris Christie on Wednesday defended New Jersey's strict medical marijuana program and shrugged off a suggestion that a Scotch Plains family had no choice but to relocate to Colorado so their ailing daughter could have easier access to edible cannabis products.
"Vivian Wilson's family chose themselves to leave the state of New Jersey. The fact is we signed into law the ability for children to get medical marijuana under very strict guidelines," the governor said during a presidential campaign stop at a senior citizens center in Bow, N.H, responding to a question about the child's family. "This is a medical program, not a recreational program."
Vivian Wilson, now 4, suffers from Dravet syndrome, a potentially life-threatening seizure disorder that traditional medicine has been unable to control.
Reading encouraging reports about cannabis strains that were providing relief for Dravet patients in Colorado, her parents, Meghan and Brian Wilson, told The Star-Ledger in 2013 they had tried to enroll their daughter in New Jersey's medical marijuana program, but could not find the required pediatrician and psychiatrist participating in the state's fledgling program to provide them with recommendations Vivian needed in order to register.
Lawmakers took up their cause and passed legislation to ease restrictions on minors in the program. Brian Wilson crashed a gubernatorial campaign stop that summer and pleaded with Christie to sign the bill, saying, "Please don't let my daughter die."
Christie ultimately signed a compromise bill that kept the requirement on the number of doctors needed to recommend a child to the program, but allowed dispensaries to produce edible marijuana products just for kids.
Without any progress made on the production of edible marijuana in February 2014, the family moved to Colorado for its robust medical marijuana program that has attracted medical refugees from across the country. The Wilsons live in Denver where they buy cannabis locally and make homemade cannabis oil they mix into her food.
Vivian Wilson still has seizures and is permanently disabled because of her illness, but she has improved tremendously, her parents say. She attends school, no longer needs to wear an eye patch or avoid sun exposure or keep to a restrictive diet like she did in New Jersey.
"Yes, we chose, for ourselves, to leave the state of New Jersey," Brian Wilson said after seeing Christie's videotaped remarks. "The choices Governor Christie gave us were to either stay in New Jersey and let Vivian die, or leave the state, leave all of our family and friends, and choose life for our daughter.
Quoting a lyric from "Born to Run" by Christie's favorite performer, Wilson added: "Bruce Springsteen wasn't kidding when he said New Jersey was a death trap."
When a spectator at the town hall Wednesday asked about the Wilson family, and whether it was fair they had to leave New Jersey for the sake of their daughter's health, Christie took shots at Colorado, which he has often criticized for its lax oversight of its medical and more recently its recreational marijuana programs.
"The folks who want edibles all the time for kids should go to Colorado because right now, the Colorado school system says the biggest problem is marijuana," Christie replied. "The kids are bringing in brownies and gummy bears – edibles – and getting high in school."
"So you know, I'm sorry, I am an anti-marijuana guy," the governor said. You are a pro-marijuana guy. That's fine. I'll enforce the federal law."
Brian Wilson pointed out that had he, his wife and their two daughters stayed waiting for New Jersey to comply with the law and produce edible products for kids, they would still be waiting.
"Today, almost 2 and a half years later, there are still no edibles for minors in New Jersey. Well played, sir," said Wilson.
There appears to be progress on that front.
Michael Nelson, general manager for the Compassionate Sciences Alternative Treatment Center, a dispensary in Bellmawr, said Wednesday the state has given the green light to construct a edible dispensary section in the facility and an application to produce a lozenge and two topical products has loosely been accepted. A product could be ready for the state's inspection by April, he said.
Health Department spokeswoman Donna Leusner confirmed a dispensary "is in the process of building a production area for edibles. We approved the build-out of the facility. Review of the plan is ongoing."
News Moderator: Robert Celt 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Christie: No Apologies To Family Who Left N.J. For Sick Child's Medical Marijuana
Author: Susan K. Livio
Contact: NJ.com
Photo Credit: John Munson
Website: NJ.com
"Vivian Wilson's family chose themselves to leave the state of New Jersey. The fact is we signed into law the ability for children to get medical marijuana under very strict guidelines," the governor said during a presidential campaign stop at a senior citizens center in Bow, N.H, responding to a question about the child's family. "This is a medical program, not a recreational program."
Vivian Wilson, now 4, suffers from Dravet syndrome, a potentially life-threatening seizure disorder that traditional medicine has been unable to control.
Reading encouraging reports about cannabis strains that were providing relief for Dravet patients in Colorado, her parents, Meghan and Brian Wilson, told The Star-Ledger in 2013 they had tried to enroll their daughter in New Jersey's medical marijuana program, but could not find the required pediatrician and psychiatrist participating in the state's fledgling program to provide them with recommendations Vivian needed in order to register.
Lawmakers took up their cause and passed legislation to ease restrictions on minors in the program. Brian Wilson crashed a gubernatorial campaign stop that summer and pleaded with Christie to sign the bill, saying, "Please don't let my daughter die."
Christie ultimately signed a compromise bill that kept the requirement on the number of doctors needed to recommend a child to the program, but allowed dispensaries to produce edible marijuana products just for kids.
Without any progress made on the production of edible marijuana in February 2014, the family moved to Colorado for its robust medical marijuana program that has attracted medical refugees from across the country. The Wilsons live in Denver where they buy cannabis locally and make homemade cannabis oil they mix into her food.
Vivian Wilson still has seizures and is permanently disabled because of her illness, but she has improved tremendously, her parents say. She attends school, no longer needs to wear an eye patch or avoid sun exposure or keep to a restrictive diet like she did in New Jersey.
"Yes, we chose, for ourselves, to leave the state of New Jersey," Brian Wilson said after seeing Christie's videotaped remarks. "The choices Governor Christie gave us were to either stay in New Jersey and let Vivian die, or leave the state, leave all of our family and friends, and choose life for our daughter.
Quoting a lyric from "Born to Run" by Christie's favorite performer, Wilson added: "Bruce Springsteen wasn't kidding when he said New Jersey was a death trap."
When a spectator at the town hall Wednesday asked about the Wilson family, and whether it was fair they had to leave New Jersey for the sake of their daughter's health, Christie took shots at Colorado, which he has often criticized for its lax oversight of its medical and more recently its recreational marijuana programs.
"The folks who want edibles all the time for kids should go to Colorado because right now, the Colorado school system says the biggest problem is marijuana," Christie replied. "The kids are bringing in brownies and gummy bears – edibles – and getting high in school."
"So you know, I'm sorry, I am an anti-marijuana guy," the governor said. You are a pro-marijuana guy. That's fine. I'll enforce the federal law."
Brian Wilson pointed out that had he, his wife and their two daughters stayed waiting for New Jersey to comply with the law and produce edible products for kids, they would still be waiting.
"Today, almost 2 and a half years later, there are still no edibles for minors in New Jersey. Well played, sir," said Wilson.
There appears to be progress on that front.
Michael Nelson, general manager for the Compassionate Sciences Alternative Treatment Center, a dispensary in Bellmawr, said Wednesday the state has given the green light to construct a edible dispensary section in the facility and an application to produce a lozenge and two topical products has loosely been accepted. A product could be ready for the state's inspection by April, he said.
Health Department spokeswoman Donna Leusner confirmed a dispensary "is in the process of building a production area for edibles. We approved the build-out of the facility. Review of the plan is ongoing."
News Moderator: Robert Celt 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Christie: No Apologies To Family Who Left N.J. For Sick Child's Medical Marijuana
Author: Susan K. Livio
Contact: NJ.com
Photo Credit: John Munson
Website: NJ.com
