Senate and Assembly committees to hear medical marijuana resolution

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The Coalition for Medical Marijuana New Jersey CMMNJ
www.cmmnj.org

CONTACT: Ken Wolski 609 394 2137 ohamkrw@aol.com

Senate and Assembly committees to hear medical marijuana resolution

On Monday November 8, 2010 committees in both houses of the New Jersey legislature will hear new resolutions to address overly limiting rules proposed by the Christie Administration.

The Department of Health and Senor Services (DHSS) issued draft regulations for the medical marijuana program last month. Among the new limitations: A physician registry, capping THC content, having just three strains of cannabis and limiting cultivation to just two centers.

Advocates, patients and the sponsoring legislators contend that DHSS officials have missed the intent of the compassionate use law. Senator Nicholas Scutari and Assemblyman Reed Gusciora introduced resolutions SCR130/ ACR151, that may force a re-write of the proposed regulations.

The Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee hearing on SCR130 will begin at 1:00PM in Committee Room #1 on the first floor of the State House Annex.

The Assembly Regulatory Oversight and Gaming Committee hearing on ACR151 will begin at 2:00PM in Committee Room #13 on the fourth floor.

Potential patients, family members, advocates, marijuana experts, physicians and potential Alternative Treatment Center Operators are all expected to testify in favor of re-writing the regulations.

CMMNJ executive director Ken Wolski RN detailed advocates’ concerns with the proposed rules in an OPED to the Times of Trenton concluding “The draft rules proposed by the DHSS for the Medicinal Marijuana Program are so burdensome, unnecessary and outside the scope of the law that they demand extensive revision.”

Full OPED- http://www.nj.com/opinion/times/oped/index.ssf?/base/news-1/1287467128220520.xml&coll=5

CONTACT: Ken Wolski 609 394 2137 ohamkrw@aol.com

CMMNJ is the only tax-exempt 501c3 non-profit in New Jersey whose mission is to educate the public about the benefits of medical marijuana.