What state will soon be the 14th state to legalize medical marijuana?
Any day now New Jersey is expected to become the 14th state to legalize medical marijuana. But don’t expect the Garden State to become a pot-smoker’s paradise. New Jersey is poised to join 13 other states in recognizing marijuana as medicine. (David McNew/Getty Images) The “New Jersey Compassionate Use of Medical Marijuana Act”, which passed both the state assembly and senate with comfortable majority votes, is a lot less sympathetic to the herb than its name may suggest. Assemblyman Reed Gusciora (D-Mercer), one of the bill’s sponsors, calls it “the strictest medicinal marijuana law in the nation.” Sources: http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2010/01/its_official_new_jersey_is.
TRENTON — The New Jersey Legislature approved a measure on Monday that would make the state the 14th in the nation, but one of the few on the East Coast, to legalize the use of marijuana to help patients with chronic illnesses. Skip to next paragraph Enlarge This Image Damon Winter/The New York Times Michael Oliveri, a muscular distrophy patient, with his mother, Christiane, left, and Diane Rivera-Riportella after passage. Related Times Topics: Marijuana and Medical Marijuana The measure — which would allow patients diagnosed with severe illnesses like cancer, AIDS, Lou Gehrig’s disease, muscular dystrophy and multiple sclerosis to have access to marijuana grown and distributed through state-monitored dispensaries — was passed by the General Assembly and State Senate on the final day of the legislative session. Gov. Jon S. Corzine has said he would sign it into law before leaving office next Tuesday. Supporters said that within nine months, patients with a prescription for marijuana fr
TRENTON, N.J. — The New Jersey Legislature on Monday approved a plan that would make the state the 14th in the nation, but one of the few on the East Coast, to legalize the use of marijuana to help patients with chronic illnesses. The General Assembly and state Senate, on the final day of the legislative session, approved a plan to allow patients diagnosed with severe illnesses — including cancer, AIDS, Lou Gehrig’s disease, muscular dystrophy and multiple sclerosis — access to marijuana distributed through state-monitored dispensaries. Gov. Jon Corzine has said he would sign it into law before leaving office next Tuesday. Supporters said that within nine months, patients with a prescription from their doctors should be able to obtain marijuana at one of six locations around the state. “It’s nice to finally see a day when democracy helps heal people,” said Charles Kwiatkowski, 38, one of dozens of ill patients who rallied at the State House before the vote and broke into an ovation whe
