MedicalNeed
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NJ — Gov. Chris Christie cut a deal with a key Democrat on medical marijuana legislation, which keeps open the possibility that the drug could be available for patients by next summer.
Christie and Assemblyman Reed Gusciora, D-Mercer, announced Friday they had reached a compromise on the measure to avoid what was shaping up to be a protracted fight over the rules surrounding the program.
"After conversations with Assemblyman Gusciora, he convinced me these issues were very important for his vision of a medically based compassionate program in the state," Christie said.
"I have never been opposed to the program," Christie added. He said he had wanted to avoid problems that have developed in states like California and Colorado, where retail stores have suddenly cropped up and cater to young patients who had quickly obtained a doctor's prescription.
Gusciora had been a key sponsor of the legislation, which had passed last January under then Gov. Jon S. Corzine to make New Jersey the 14th state to legalize marijuana for patients with certain medical conditions.
Sen. Nicholas P. Scutari, D-Union, was another key sponsor in the state Senate. In a statement, Scutari said he would wait to see the new regulations before deciding whether to move ahead with a vote scheduled for Dec. 13 that would invalidate the administration's proposed regulations. Last month, the Assembly passed a similar resolution.
Under the new compromise, the six treatment centers to be opened statewide would each have the ability to grow and dispense marijuana. The regulations put out by Christie's administration earlier would have separated the functions.
In addition, Christie loosened the requirements on physicians, who would only have to certify that a patient has not responded to conventional treatment for conditions that had been listed in the law.
A new group of regulations will be issued. Dr. Poonam Alaigh, commissioner for the Department of Health and Senior Services, said she believed medical marijuana would still be available by summer.
Patients say pot helps them by easing pain and suppressing nausea, among other benefits.
The regulations — even under the new compromise — will do something no other state has done: cap the level of tetrahydrocannabinol, the psychotropic chemical in marijuana that is more commonly known as THC, at 10 percent.
Advocates consider that too weak and say drugs from illegal dealers can be twice as potent.
Christie said the department would closely monitor the program over the next two year to make sure it was not abused, but also effective for patients.
Some advocates were not impressed.
Chris Goldstein, spokesman for the Coalition for Medical Marijuana New Jersey, said the potency cap could undermine the program entirely, because the law also caps the amount of marijuana patients could have per month.
NewsHawk: MedicalNeed: 420 MAGAZINE
Source: app.com
Author: JASON METHOD
Contact: APP.com/Asbury Park Press contacts | APP.com | Asbury Park Press
Copyright: 2010 app.com
Website:Medical marijuana by summer? | APP.com | Asbury Park Press
Christie and Assemblyman Reed Gusciora, D-Mercer, announced Friday they had reached a compromise on the measure to avoid what was shaping up to be a protracted fight over the rules surrounding the program.
"After conversations with Assemblyman Gusciora, he convinced me these issues were very important for his vision of a medically based compassionate program in the state," Christie said.
"I have never been opposed to the program," Christie added. He said he had wanted to avoid problems that have developed in states like California and Colorado, where retail stores have suddenly cropped up and cater to young patients who had quickly obtained a doctor's prescription.
Gusciora had been a key sponsor of the legislation, which had passed last January under then Gov. Jon S. Corzine to make New Jersey the 14th state to legalize marijuana for patients with certain medical conditions.
Sen. Nicholas P. Scutari, D-Union, was another key sponsor in the state Senate. In a statement, Scutari said he would wait to see the new regulations before deciding whether to move ahead with a vote scheduled for Dec. 13 that would invalidate the administration's proposed regulations. Last month, the Assembly passed a similar resolution.
Under the new compromise, the six treatment centers to be opened statewide would each have the ability to grow and dispense marijuana. The regulations put out by Christie's administration earlier would have separated the functions.
In addition, Christie loosened the requirements on physicians, who would only have to certify that a patient has not responded to conventional treatment for conditions that had been listed in the law.
A new group of regulations will be issued. Dr. Poonam Alaigh, commissioner for the Department of Health and Senior Services, said she believed medical marijuana would still be available by summer.
Patients say pot helps them by easing pain and suppressing nausea, among other benefits.
The regulations — even under the new compromise — will do something no other state has done: cap the level of tetrahydrocannabinol, the psychotropic chemical in marijuana that is more commonly known as THC, at 10 percent.
Advocates consider that too weak and say drugs from illegal dealers can be twice as potent.
Christie said the department would closely monitor the program over the next two year to make sure it was not abused, but also effective for patients.
Some advocates were not impressed.
Chris Goldstein, spokesman for the Coalition for Medical Marijuana New Jersey, said the potency cap could undermine the program entirely, because the law also caps the amount of marijuana patients could have per month.
NewsHawk: MedicalNeed: 420 MAGAZINE
Source: app.com
Author: JASON METHOD
Contact: APP.com/Asbury Park Press contacts | APP.com | Asbury Park Press
Copyright: 2010 app.com
Website:Medical marijuana by summer? | APP.com | Asbury Park Press
