Jacob Redmond
Well-Known Member
There is not a single physician in Hoboken qualified to recommend medical marijuana.
In March, several members of the New Jersey Assembly proposed a trio of bills aimed at revamping the state's medical marijuana law.
One of the stated reasons for the bills was a "shortage of physicians" qualified to recommend cannabis to their patients.
But do the numbers support their claims?
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services defines a "health professional shortage" as an area that exceeds 3,500 patients per physician.
As of Aug. 25, a state database lists 351 doctors who are qualified to recommend cannabis to their patients through New Jersey's medical marijuana program.
None are located in Hoboken.
According to the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, there were 27,648 primary care and specialist physicians in New Jersey as of June.
With a statewide population of 8.79 million as of the 2010 U.S. Census, New Jersey has one physician qualified to recommend medical marijuana for every 25,042 residents... more than seven times beyond the HHS threshold for a "shortage."
Physician Registry
To qualify to participate in New Jersey's medical marijuana program (MMP), physicians must:
"Critics of the program have said that potential patients are not signing up due to the relatively low number of doctors registered," NJ Spotlight reported in April. "Medical marijuana advocates also allege that doctors aren't registering because they don't want their name listed in the public online registry."
News Moderator: Jacob Redmond 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Is There A Medical Marijuana Doctor Shortage In New Jersey? | Hoboken, NJ Patch
Author: Eric Kiefer
Contact: Contact Us | How to reach us | Patch
Photo Credit: None Found
Website: Patch USA | Local News, Community, Sports, Shopping, Restaurants, Things To Do
In March, several members of the New Jersey Assembly proposed a trio of bills aimed at revamping the state's medical marijuana law.
One of the stated reasons for the bills was a "shortage of physicians" qualified to recommend cannabis to their patients.
But do the numbers support their claims?
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services defines a "health professional shortage" as an area that exceeds 3,500 patients per physician.
As of Aug. 25, a state database lists 351 doctors who are qualified to recommend cannabis to their patients through New Jersey's medical marijuana program.
None are located in Hoboken.
According to the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, there were 27,648 primary care and specialist physicians in New Jersey as of June.
With a statewide population of 8.79 million as of the 2010 U.S. Census, New Jersey has one physician qualified to recommend medical marijuana for every 25,042 residents... more than seven times beyond the HHS threshold for a "shortage."
Physician Registry
To qualify to participate in New Jersey's medical marijuana program (MMP), physicians must:
- Hold an active New Jersey Medical license in good standing issued by the NJ Board of Medical Examiners
- Possess an active controlled dangerous substances registration issued by the NJ Division of Consumer Affairs that is not subject to limitation
- Practice within the State of New Jersey
"Critics of the program have said that potential patients are not signing up due to the relatively low number of doctors registered," NJ Spotlight reported in April. "Medical marijuana advocates also allege that doctors aren't registering because they don't want their name listed in the public online registry."
News Moderator: Jacob Redmond 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Is There A Medical Marijuana Doctor Shortage In New Jersey? | Hoboken, NJ Patch
Author: Eric Kiefer
Contact: Contact Us | How to reach us | Patch
Photo Credit: None Found
Website: Patch USA | Local News, Community, Sports, Shopping, Restaurants, Things To Do
