CMMNJ Monthly Public Zoom Meeting Agenda for April 9, 2024 at 7 pm
ZOOM Meeting ID: 840 1303 6523 Passcode: 794738
Or, click: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84013036523?pwd=SEg2Mnk1Wjk0SHVCc0dwSERnS0UwQT09
Agenda: New Jersey Issues:
March 10, 2024 was the 21st anniversary of the first public appearance of CMMNJ!
“Rowyn is a medical cannabis patient who is losing her sight because the facility she is in will not let her use her glaucoma medicine.” Video by Lefty Grimes
NORML activist Chris Goldstein Attends VP Harris’ National Legalization Roundtable; Interview with Chris. Ignorance Is No Excuse podcast with Chris.
NJCBA President’s GOLDEN DOOR DISPENSARY opens in Jersey City
Bennabis Health expands dispensary network to enhance affordability of medical cannabis
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul slams big tech social media companies for contributing to a proliferation of illegal pot shops
Hudson County Latino Chamber Cannabis Panel, with NJCRC Vice Chair Sam Delgado.
N.J. cannabis patients demand action as recreational market thrives, by Jelani Gibson
Jim Miller’s Letter To Jelani Gibson
Survey: 59% of adults: “all Americans should have the right to legally grow cannabis at home.” 49% of people who grow their own say it gives them a sense of confidence, 48% a sense of joy, 46% a sense of pride, 34% a sense of ease, and 44% a connectedness with nature. 43% of home cultivators say it’s a more cost-effect option.
NORML Action Alert: New Jersey: Allow Patients to Grow Their Own Medicine
NJ Bill to Force Drivers Suspected of Marijuana use To Provide A Blood Sample; NJ NORML: Oppose Legislation Imposing Unscientific THC DUI Limits
Upcoming Events:
Baked by the River “420 Fest” Gaia’s Way Farm, Lambertville, 4/20/24, 3 – 9 pm. Tickets.
Pennington Day, Pennington, NJ, 5/18/24, 10 – 4 pm; CMMNJ table.
Annual LGBTQ+ Pride Festival, Asbury Park, 6/2/24. CMMNJ table, Check in: 6 – 10:30 am.
Archer Health Fair, 1025 Laurel Oak Road, Voorhees, NJ, 5/16/24, 10 - 2 PM. CMMNJ table.
“Remembering the 60’s” presents Ken Wolski and, “The Elderly and Medical Marijuana” Mercer County Library, Lawrence Twp. Branch, 4/11/24, 2 – 3 pm
Minorities for Medical Marijuana (M4MM) Upcoming Events
CMMNJ Expungement Clinic, Raritan Valley Community College, 6/22/24, 12 - 4pm.
Federal Drug Policy Reform:
Florida’s Supreme Court has ruled 5-2 against the state attorney general and will allow a marijuana legalization initiative to appear before voters on the November 5, 2024, ballot.
Alice O’Leary Randall: “Like many in the cannabis community, I am anxiously awaiting the DEA’s action on President Biden’s request to reschedule marijuana.”
The Verdict Is In: Marijuana Legalization Has Been A Success Story For States (Op-Ed)
Medicinal and recreational legal cannabis sales in 2023 in New York totaled $174 million. New York still has over 1,500 illicit dispensaries in New York City alone.
Cannabis Is Officially Legal In Germany!
The Cannabis Regulatory Commission (CRC):
The next CRC meeting: April 11, at 44 South Clinton Avenue, Trenton, 11 a.m.
CRC approved 62 licenses and discussed progress on 3/13/24. There are more than 100 cannabis dispensaries open. Of the 515 NJ cannabis licenses awarded, 219 are operating. Women were awarded 36 percent of licenses. Patients are down to 83,000, from a high of 135,000.
The CRC held clinics in March 2024 in Newark, Trenton, and Atlantic City to register more NJ medical cannabis patients. Additional clinics are scheduled this June. NJ Spotlight News: “New clinics launched to boost medical marijuana.” Comments by Ken.
Digital medical cannabis patient ID cards started to stop the decline. The average price paid for flower is under $300 an ounce. NJ could experiment with price caps for medicinal cannabis.
NJ Cannabis sales top $2B in last 6 years; Growth Continues with $800 Million in 2023; Cannabis dispensaries across the state expect to see sales beyond $1 billion in 2024. Find a Dispensary in NJ.
The CRC held three regional hearings on spending the collected Social Excise fee revenue. They were all virtual on March 26, 27th and 28th. How New Jerseyans want the state to spend a social equity cannabis tax ($3.1 million in 2023)
CMMNJ’s post-legalization medical cannabis goals:
- S1944: Costs of medical cannabis to be reimbursed by Catastrophic Illness in Children Relief Fund, PAAD, Senior Gold and VCCO. The bills passed both Health Committees and are in the Senate and Assembly Budget and Oversight Committees.
- S1943: Requires workers’ compensation, PIP, and health insurance coverage.
- A898: Subsidize medical cannabis in Medicaid or NJ Family Care.
Treasury report:
Checking: $10,052
Make a tax-deductible donation via PayPal to info@cmmnj.org, or send a check to:CMMNJ, 219 Woodside Ave., Trenton, NJ 08618.
More info:
Ken Wolski, RN, MPA (609) 394-2137 ohamkrw@aol.com
Facebook: Friends of CMMNJ: https://www.facebook.com/groups/62462971150/
Website: Coalition for Medical Marijuana-New Jersey: https://www.cmmnj.org
Twitter: @CMM_NJ
CMMNJ blog: https://cmmnj.blogspot.com/
CMMNJ awards:
2021: NJ Governor's Jefferson Award in the Volunteer Group category;2023: NJ State Governor's Volunteerism Award in the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Champion for Justice Category "for extraordinary service to your community;"
2023: Ken Wolski won a Lifetime Achievement award;
2023: NJ Senate and Assembly Joint Legislative Resolution affirmed CMMNJ's importance as a "catalyst for the legalization of both medical and recreational marijuana in the State" and paid “tribute to all who have contributed to its success and renown.”
CMMNJ, a 501(c)(3) public charity, is a non-profit educational organization.
AI Summary of March 2024 CMMNJ Meeting
The meeting discussed the challenges of accessing medical marijuana in healthcare institutions, with speakers sharing personal experiences of patients who faced difficulties in obtaining their medication. The need for caregivers and consistent access to medical marijuana for patients in hospitals and nursing homes was emphasized, and the potential for co-authoring and submitting patient testimonies to advocate for hospital and institutional access to medical marijuana was discussed.
The developments in the New Jersey cannabis market were also discussed, including the deliberation regarding home cultivation for patients and adults. Members expressed apprehensions about the overshadowing of the medical market by the mature market and deliberated on the backing from particular assembly members for home cultivation.
The meeting also addressed the bill numbers and the engagement of specific committee members in the legislative proceedings.
The meeting section delved into a detailed discussion about New Jersey Bill S-2805, which introduces measures related to driving under the influence of marijuana and controlled substances. Participants expressed concerns about the potential impact on medical patients, highlighting the risk of being at risk for DWI and the implications of the proposed blood testing requirements. The lack of scientific legitimacy for the proposed measures was emphasized, with reference to the Olenowski case and the need to fight back with scientific evidence.
The discussion also covered upcoming events, including Jersey Pride and the CMMNJ expungement clinic, and sought volunteers. The Functional Fungi Educational Symposium and the Happy Wellness Expo were also mentioned, along with insurance requirements for events.
The findings of the Pew Research Center regarding the increasing number of legal marijuana states in the US and the abundance of cannabis dispensaries were also discussed, along with the challenges in federal drug policy reform and ongoing efforts to advocate for policy changes.
