Talk about green politics; some interesting medical marijuana issues await Governor Jon Corzine of New Jersey at the end of his tenure.
The NJ legislature is now officially a lame duck. But, due to an interesting political playing field, this duck still has teeth. Both the NJ Senate and Assembly have a majority of Democrats giving Corzine the option to try and push through some legislation that he thinks might stick. Many elected officials, themselves either unseated or retiring, are also trying to take last shots for their legacies. Something that remains popular between both ducks and seated officials is medical marijuana.
The Newark Star-Ledger and other papers have taken note of the chatter among legislators about cannabis.
The New Jersey Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Act has strong support in the public (86% have polled in favor of safe access) and has reached its final legislative phase. Assembly Speaker Joseph Roberts is publicly supporting the bill. That's key because Roberts keeps the bill alive in the Assembly by posting it to the schedule. Equally important, the Speaker has the ability to instigate the Assembly to re-amend the bill.
When the Assembly Health Committee forwarded the bill in June there were some significant changes made to the proposed cannabis program. Among them: Removal of Chronic Pain from the list of qualifying conditions and removal of provision for home cultivation by authorized patients. Advocates at CMMNJ, DPA-NJ and NORML-NJ are calling for the final version of the medical marijuana bill to be more closely like the one the passed the Senate in February that included those provisions.
Governor Corzine has shown consistent support for medical marijuana and, specifically, the bill currently before the legislature. His continued and informed involvement could help craft a bill with a more solid program for patients.
The final stage of any legislation - it could be about bottlecaps - is nail biting, exciting, stressful, active and full of some good old fashioned politics. This is what elected officials live for; this is what it's all about for them. The beauty about this kind of legislation is that everyone wins. Politicians rarely get a chance to say that, but they do with medical cannabis.
Corzine does seem to grasp that the medical marijuana bill is also deadly serious. There is an open acknowledgement that it might be more difficult to get such a bill through on Governor-elect Christie's watch. Already, patients have been waiting for the legislature to pass the bill since 2005.
In the case of MS patient John Wilson, who is facing 15 years in state prison for growing 17 marijuana plants, Governor Corzine is now facing the truly draconian reality of current prohibition enforcement. The case is so egregious that state Senators Nicholas Scutari and Raymond Lesniak have asked for an Executive Pardon for Wilson.
On the pardon issue the ball is squarely in Corzine's court. He alone has the power to pardon John Wilson of the first-degree felony charges before a conviction. Wilson's trial is set to begin on December 14, 2009. CMMNJ and NORML-NJ are planning to rally at the Somerset County Courthouse.
In New Mexico, my home for a decade, Governors from two parties supported cannabis reform: Governor Gary Johnson ( R) in the 90s and the Governor Bill Richardson (D) with medical marijuana.
One summer day in 1999 Governor Johnson hosted and open Q&A for teenagers about marijuana (moderated slightly by yours truly) at a local teen arts project. It was an engaging and enlightening event; quite unique in the open rapport about marijuana.
I have seen in person the positive impact a Governor can have on both legislation and public perceptions for medical marijuana. Jon Corzine has been given a unique set of chances to make an impact on this particular policy.
For the last 13 years and for generations to come, sick and dying people find relief as a direct result of state legislation around the country. The same could be true in New Jersey. History will look very kindly on these compassionate reforms of prohibition. It's no wonder then why many politicians feel that there is an important legacy to leave with medical marijuana. Cannabis is good politics, but it is even better medicine.
News Hawk- Ganjarden 420 MAGAZINE ® - Medical Marijuana Publication & Social Networking
Source: Examiner.com
Author: Chris Goldstein
Contact: Examiner.com
Copyright: 2009 Clarity Digital Group LLC d/b/a Examiner.com
Website: Corzine and Legislature Face Marijuana Questions
The NJ legislature is now officially a lame duck. But, due to an interesting political playing field, this duck still has teeth. Both the NJ Senate and Assembly have a majority of Democrats giving Corzine the option to try and push through some legislation that he thinks might stick. Many elected officials, themselves either unseated or retiring, are also trying to take last shots for their legacies. Something that remains popular between both ducks and seated officials is medical marijuana.
The Newark Star-Ledger and other papers have taken note of the chatter among legislators about cannabis.
The New Jersey Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Act has strong support in the public (86% have polled in favor of safe access) and has reached its final legislative phase. Assembly Speaker Joseph Roberts is publicly supporting the bill. That's key because Roberts keeps the bill alive in the Assembly by posting it to the schedule. Equally important, the Speaker has the ability to instigate the Assembly to re-amend the bill.
When the Assembly Health Committee forwarded the bill in June there were some significant changes made to the proposed cannabis program. Among them: Removal of Chronic Pain from the list of qualifying conditions and removal of provision for home cultivation by authorized patients. Advocates at CMMNJ, DPA-NJ and NORML-NJ are calling for the final version of the medical marijuana bill to be more closely like the one the passed the Senate in February that included those provisions.
Governor Corzine has shown consistent support for medical marijuana and, specifically, the bill currently before the legislature. His continued and informed involvement could help craft a bill with a more solid program for patients.
The final stage of any legislation - it could be about bottlecaps - is nail biting, exciting, stressful, active and full of some good old fashioned politics. This is what elected officials live for; this is what it's all about for them. The beauty about this kind of legislation is that everyone wins. Politicians rarely get a chance to say that, but they do with medical cannabis.
Corzine does seem to grasp that the medical marijuana bill is also deadly serious. There is an open acknowledgement that it might be more difficult to get such a bill through on Governor-elect Christie's watch. Already, patients have been waiting for the legislature to pass the bill since 2005.
In the case of MS patient John Wilson, who is facing 15 years in state prison for growing 17 marijuana plants, Governor Corzine is now facing the truly draconian reality of current prohibition enforcement. The case is so egregious that state Senators Nicholas Scutari and Raymond Lesniak have asked for an Executive Pardon for Wilson.
On the pardon issue the ball is squarely in Corzine's court. He alone has the power to pardon John Wilson of the first-degree felony charges before a conviction. Wilson's trial is set to begin on December 14, 2009. CMMNJ and NORML-NJ are planning to rally at the Somerset County Courthouse.
In New Mexico, my home for a decade, Governors from two parties supported cannabis reform: Governor Gary Johnson ( R) in the 90s and the Governor Bill Richardson (D) with medical marijuana.
One summer day in 1999 Governor Johnson hosted and open Q&A for teenagers about marijuana (moderated slightly by yours truly) at a local teen arts project. It was an engaging and enlightening event; quite unique in the open rapport about marijuana.
I have seen in person the positive impact a Governor can have on both legislation and public perceptions for medical marijuana. Jon Corzine has been given a unique set of chances to make an impact on this particular policy.
For the last 13 years and for generations to come, sick and dying people find relief as a direct result of state legislation around the country. The same could be true in New Jersey. History will look very kindly on these compassionate reforms of prohibition. It's no wonder then why many politicians feel that there is an important legacy to leave with medical marijuana. Cannabis is good politics, but it is even better medicine.
News Hawk- Ganjarden 420 MAGAZINE ® - Medical Marijuana Publication & Social Networking
Source: Examiner.com
Author: Chris Goldstein
Contact: Examiner.com
Copyright: 2009 Clarity Digital Group LLC d/b/a Examiner.com
Website: Corzine and Legislature Face Marijuana Questions
