NJ Legislature Approves Bill to Legalize Medical Marijuana
Printer-friendly versionTRENTON, N.J. (AP) — The New Jersey Legislature has approved a bill allowing chronically ill patients access to marijuana for medical reasons.Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine supports the legislation and could sign it before leaving office next week. That would make New Jersey the 14th state to allow medicinal marijuana use.
The compromise bill was approved by the state's Assembly and Senate on Monday.
The legislation would allow patients with ailments such as cancer, AIDS and multiple sclerosis to buy up to 2 ounces of marijuana a month at state-monitored dispensaries.
Home growing and driving while high would remain illegal.
Assemblyman Reed Gusciora was a co-sponsor of the measure. He says New Jersey's Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Act would be the nation's strictest such law.
Comments
Fuck Jersey
It's a Start in New Jersey
Have you even read the actual Bill that the legislation passes? It's clear to me you did not. Perhaps next time you should actually read the bill before making such outlandish comments!Nowhere in the bill does it say medical marijuana is only for people who will die within a year. You are also incorrect about medical marijuana not being a painkiller--there are many marijuana varieties that are proven exceptional painkillers. There are also plenty of varieties that increase appetite. There are also many other ways to ingest marijuana besides smoking. Many patients can't smoke because of their illnesses and some must smoke for instant relief of neurological illnesses, especially epilepsy related symptoms.
Your ignorance in your comments is causing more harm than good with respect to the advancement of medical marijuana's acceptance.
Here are some facts for you to consider about who is eligible for medical marijuana pertaining to the bill passed in NJ:
Anyone with any of the following:
(1) seizure disorder, including epilepsy, intractable skeletal muscular spasticity or glaucoma that is resistant to conventional medical therapy;
(2) positive status for human immunodeficiency virus, acquired immune deficiency syndrome, or cancer that results in severe or chronic pain, severe nausea or vomiting, cachexia, or wasting syndrome;
(3) amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, multiple sclerosis, terminal cancer; or
(4) any other medical condition or its treatment that is approved by the department by regulation.
“Department” means the Department of Health and Senior Services.
As you can clearly see, the bill gives plenty of leeway to the Department of Health and Senior Services to add any other condition to the list as they see fit. Additionally, I'd like to point out that nowhere in the entire bill does say a patient has to be within a year of death to be eligible for medical marijuana. For example, people with epilepsy may live for many years and now they're eligible for medical marijuana to help them live a more satisfying life.
Granted, the bill could have gone further and included many other conditions on the onset, as well as give the patients the opportunity to grow their own; nontheless, this bill is a indeed a victory for those suffering in NJ and I challenge you to tell these people otherwise.
Please, I implore you, next time please read the actual wording of legislation before you succumb to propaganda and regurgitate such appalling sound bites such as "demonizing weed".
If you truly believe in the merits of medical marijuana - then I encourage you to support it rather than hinder it's progress. One step at a time.
Bless.