Drug & Device News

New Jersey's legislatures passed a medical marijuana bill on Jan. 11. It has been signed into law, making New Jersey the 14th state in the union to permit the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes. In a release by the New Jersey Senate Democrats announcing the bill's passage, one of the bill's co-sponsors, Sen. Nicholas P. Scutari, says, “New Jersey has a demonstrated record of being tough on illegal drug use and the underground drug trade. However, when it comes to medical marijuana, we're not talking about hardened criminals, but individuals looking for some small bit of relief from chronic pain and debilitating illness. New Jersey has no interest in treating these folks like drug kingpins, and should provide legal access to medical marijuana for New Jerseyans who need it.” The New Jersey Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Act provides for patients with State-issued ID cards to obtain marijuana from special dispensaries when their physicians prescribe it. These individuals are not permitted to grow their own supplies, and they may only use two ounces of the drug per month. Rules for opening, registering and operating treatment centers are also included in the law. Patients are eligible for the ID cards if they have one or more of the legislation's enumerated “debilitating conditions,” such as glaucoma or cancer. Specifically not included in the law were more nebulous medical complaints, like anxiety, which are so broad that they have led to abuses in other states that permit the use of medical marijuana.