Medical marijuana testimony planned at the Trenton, NJ State House on 1/20/11

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 1/19/2011
For more info, contact: Ken @ (609) 394-2137

Medical marijuana testimony planned at the Trenton, NJ State House on 1/20/11

WHO: Patients, medical marijuana advocates and potential Alternative Treatment Centers operators
WHAT: Plan to testify about the medical marijuana rules
WHEN: January 20, 2011 at 12:00 PM
WHERE: Trenton, NJ State House Annex Room #1
WHY: To protest the proposed rules from the DHSS and the Board of Medical Examiners

On Thursday, January 20, 2011 at 12:00 PM New Jersey medical marijuana advocates plan to testify at a Senate Health Committee hearing that will be held in Committee Room #1 in the State House Annex in Trenton, NJ. Doctors, nurses, patients, and potential Alternative Treatment Centers operators as well as other supporters of the New Jersey Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Act will address the revised rules to implement the Medicinal Marijuana Program from the Health Department (DHSS).

Spoken testimony is limited to 3 minutes per person and written testimony must be submitted with 18 copies.

Advocates and press are invited to meet in the Multi-Purpose Room in the Welcome Center of the State House Annex, which has been reserved for this purpose on January 20th from 11 AM to 4 PM.

The Coalition for Medical Marijuana--New Jersey has submitted an extensive comment on and critique of the revised rules from the DHSS. CMMNJ contends that “the people of this State cannot rely on DHSS to craft reasonable regulations to ensure safe and adequate access to medical marijuana. In its misguided efforts all DHSS has done is ensure that patients will be driven to the illegal drug market. This is exactly opposite to the basic goal of the law. Patients requiring effective marijuana, to which they are entitled under the Act, simply cannot expect to obtain it under these (rules). Thus, they must again choose between continued suffering or the commission of a crime to alleviate their suffering.”

CMMNJ is calling on the New Jersey State Legislature to rewrite these rules to ensure timely access to affordable, medical grade marijuana to qualified patients in a safe and secure manner.

CMMNJ was formed in 2003, is incorporated in New Jersey and is recognized as a 501(c)(3) by the federal government.

CMMNJ is the only statewide organization solely dedicated to providing education and information about safe and legal access to medical marijuana, and it has closely followed the law’s evolution and patients’ concerns.

Ken Wolski, RN, MPA, Executive Director
Coalition for Medical Marijuana--New Jersey, Inc.
219 Woodside Ave., Trenton, NJ 08618
609.394.2137 www.cmmnj.org ohamkrw@aol.com

Additional contact for further information: Chris Goldstein: media@cmmnj.org