CMMNJ has received many emails this week from those who wish to open an Alternative Treatment Center in New Jersey to serve patients in a medical marijuana program. This has been our reply:
The “New Jersey Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Act"A804/ S119 was approved by the state legislature on 01/11/10.
When it is signed into law by Governor Corzine, it will remove the state-wide penalties for the possession, and use of up to two ounces of marijuana when a New Jersey licensed physician recommends it for one of the qualifying medical conditions.
Qualifying medical conditions include cancer, AIDS, multiple sclerosis, Crohn’s disease, etc. The physician must have an on-going responsibility for the patient’s condition. Patients will be issued ID cards in a program run by the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS). Patients may designate a caregiver to assist them with obtaining and using the marijuana. The caregiver must also register with DHSS.
The marijuana will be obtained from Alternative Treatment Centers which will be set up in the north, central and southern parts of the state, with two Centers in each region to start. The Centers will be tightly regulated by the DHSS and the Department of Law and Public Safety, which will monitor the amount of marijuana dispensed at these Centers, much as it now monitors the way Scheduled narcotics are dispensed. New Jersey will be unique among the 14 medical marijuana states in that only the Garden State will prohibit home cultivation of medical marijuana.
Specific information about how to apply to the Department of Health to become an Alternative Treatment Centers will probably not be available until June or September of 2010.
For more info, join the CMMNJ mailing list for monthly updates on the latest info as it becomes available. Visit: www.cmmnj.org
CMMNJ, a 501(c)(3) public charity, provides education about the benefits of safe and legal access to medical marijuana. Donations are income tax deductible. Help us to continue our mission with your generous financial support.
Ken Wolski, RN, MPA
Executive Director
Coalition for Medical Marijuana--New Jersey, Inc. www.cmmnj.org
219 Woodside Ave.
Trenton, NJ 08618
ohamkrw@aol.com
As a Registered Nurse and a MSN student, I have to say I am in full support of the new Act. I can promise that the first prescription I write will be for my clients who are in need of medical marijuana.
ReplyDeleteI have known Johnny Wilson for over 20 years and support his right to self medicate. He was doing no wrong, only what mother nature intended. I encourage all that have such torturous diseases to follow suit especially now that it will be legal. Why should you put manufactured medications in your body when you can be medicated naturally? Johnny had the right idea not to put garbage into his system with a debilitating disease like MS. I hope this act empowers him and all others who are in need.
This is the right step forward, but New Jersey is missing a MAJOR point about the cultivation.
ReplyDeleteMost patients can't afford the cost of marijuana especially with ficed income.
Patients need the right to grow their own medicine or designate a caregiver, until that I have lost faith in this program
>.<
Even though I will not give up supporting the new Act, I have been reading and found that no matter what the state says, MM is federally illegal and punishable by the DEA! What kind of nonsense is that..and of 600 dispensaries in LA about 10 a day get busted by the DEA....just doesn't make sense.
ReplyDeleteI'm a NJ resident who would be very interested in personally contributing to the formation of one of the first Alternative Treatment Centers, and I was just wondering whether there has been any discussion on possibly forming a COOPERATIVE to jointly form one or more of these centers? (A center run for the people, BY the people!)
ReplyDeleteIf anyone knows about any such an initiative, or would be interested in participating in something like this, please let me know!
(I have a legal and business background, and would welcome an opportunity to put my energies to work for a social cause such as this, as opposed to continuing for the rest of my life in the corporate world, which is not where my heart is!)
Best Regards,
Samuel Michaels
SamInHoboken@rocketmail.com