Telemedicine & the Bona Fide Relationship in the NJ MCP

 

Telemedicine & the Bona Fide Relationship in the New Jersey Medical Cannabis Program (NJ MCP)

The only requirement for an NJ MCP provider is to have a current DEA license and a physical practice in NJ. If multistate operators connect NJ patients to NJ physicians by Telemedicine, they are quite within their rights. It is not a violation of the MCP. If the physician/provider does not have a physical practice in NJ, then that is a violation of the program rules. However, the distinction that only NJ physicians may admit NJ residents into the NJ MCP is arbitrary and unnecessary. Patients in NJ are free to cross the river into NY and PA to obtain medical treatment from providers in those states. The prescriptions, and other treatments, from out of state providers are perfectly legal here in NJ. There is nothing special about NJ physicians that make only them eligible to admit patients into the NJ MCP. 

Only about 1000 NJ physicians have bothered to join the MCP out of the 28,000 or so in the state.  Even many of the physicians who joined the MCP are not committed to marijuana therapy, but they do it out of courtesy for their patients. There is precious little education about the Endocannabinoid System (ECS) in the physician community. When the Department of Health appointed the Medical Marijuana Review Panel, they published the curriculum vitae of the members. None of the members on that panel had any documented education, publications, or experience with cannabis, or the ECS. Admittedly, the Review Panel did an excellent job in the end, but their lack of education and experience going into that task was concerning.

Patients have told me some of the most shocking statements from NJ physicians. For example, numerous physicians have belittled, laughed at, or simply ignored patients’ requests for cannabis therapy. One NJ physician told an impoverished, dying Hospice patient that if he wants medical marijuana, he should find another physician.

The bona fide relationship that is necessary in the MCP between a patient and a provider is an artificial construct. The original medical marijuana bill said that all a physician had to do to admit a patient into the MCP was attest that the patient had a condition that qualified to join the program. This could even be done by a review of the patient’s records, without the physician seeing the patient at all.

The bona fide patient relationship is phony. When I go to see a doctor for medication or treatment, whether it's a GP or a specialist, I do not have to see that doctor more than once for treatment. I certainly do not have to see a doctor four times, or for any arbitrary length of time, before I can be treated. Moreover, with medical marijuana, these physician visits are almost exclusively cash out of pocket for the patient. A great many patients have been impoverished by their illnesses or injuries. Spending $400 a year on physician visits, in cash, just for the opportunity to purchase a medical marijuana card, and then purchase very expensive medical marijuana, certainly strains the resources of many patients, and denies access to many more.

Many patients were greatly relieved when visits for maintaining an ID card in the MCP were reduced, at the discretion of the provider, to once a year.

Please join my call to require education on the ECS for all health care providers in NJ as a condition for continued licensure. 

I also hope you will support the bills currently in the NJ Legislature that create insurance coverage for medical cannabis, S3799/A5760 and A1708/S3406.

Cannabis Regulatory Commission Testimony, 12/7/21

Ken Wolski, RN, MPA
Executive Director, Coalition for Medical Marijuana--New Jersey, Inc.

CMMNJ December 14, 2021 Public Meeting Agenda

CMMNJ Monthly Meeting Agenda for December 14, 2021 at 7 pm

Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86051547719?pwd=RW5kT2VmNy9JbzJJMFAvQ0hIQzFlUT09

Meeting ID: 860 5154 7719

Passcode: 314195

Agenda: 

Congratulations to Phil Murphy on his reelection as governor of New Jersey. We can look forward to four more years of cannabis reform in our state.

In recognition of extraordinary service to our community, CMMNJ was awarded a 2021 NJ State Governor's Jefferson Award in the Volunteer Group category. Honorees achieve measurable community impact and represent outstanding acts of public service, without the expectation of recognition or compensations. Recipients demonstrate unique vision, dedication and tenacity of heroic proportion and serve as inspiration for others. 

Thank you to the Board and to all the CMMNJ volunteers who made this possible.

Insurance coverage bills for medical cannabis: 

Judith Schmidt, the CEO of the NJ State Nurses Association/Institute for Nursing said on 11/24/21 that the NJSNA Board supports the following bills: 

S3799/A5760: Medical cannabis costs to be reimbursed by Senior Gold Prescription Discount Program, Pharmaceutical Assistance to the Aged and Disabled (PAAD), Catastrophic Illness in Children Relief Fund, and Criminal Injuries Compensation Act of 1971. Both bills advanced through Senate & Assembly Health Committees and were referred to Budget and Appropriations Committees. Take action with NORML!

A1708/S3406: Requires workers' compensation, PIP, and health insurance coverage for the medical use of cannabis. Passed in Assembly Committees; in Senate Commerce Committee. Take action with NORML!

When passed into law, these bills will reduce healthcare costs in the state. Cannabis stabilizes multiple conditions in individuals. Greater access to cannabis therapy will result in fewer hospitalizations, fewer surgical procedures, and fewer emergency room visits.

NJ has among the highest prices in the country, an ounce of medical marijuana costs up to $500. In Michigan, an ounce costs about $265.

Home cultivation for patients:

A5363/S3420 legalizes cultivation of eight medical cannabis plants.

S3407/A5435 legalizes cultivation of six plants for any NJ adult. 

S3582/A5552 legalizes cultivation of six plants for personal use, and 10 plants for medical use, by adults.

Sign the petition: Let Patients Grow NJ; Website: Let Patients Grow NJ #JeffsLaw.

This issue will be tackled in NJ's next legislative session rather than in the lame duck session.

The Cannabis Regulatory Commission (CRC): 

The CRC announced it would open the application process to marijuana growers, processors and testing labs on Dec. 15. It will open applications for dispensaries on March 15. There are no deadlines to file applications; the CRC will accept them on a rolling basis. Cultivation licenses have a cap of 37 new licenses between Feb. 2021 and Feb. 2023.

The CRC also discussed how to handle the sales of edibles that resemble food – and how to make sure that if they do allow it, the items sold will be safe. Ken Wolski said the amount and type of marijuana needed for therapeutic reasons is highly individualized and that anything a patient needs should be available to them.

“Any form of edibles should be permitted as long as the regulatory procedures are followed. There should be no arbitrary exclusions placed on cannabis products,” Wolski said. “Public safety can be improved not by banning edibles and other high-potency products but by regulating the use of these products.”

NJ CRC Releases Webinar on Adult-use Cannabis License Applications

Upcoming CRC Meeting: December 7, 2021 at 6p.m. Register to speak here, Deadline to register to speak will be December 7 at noon. You may also submit comments in writing to the Commission here. 

National: 

Five myths about marijuana

NOVA DOES CANNABIS

Upcoming Events: 

CMMNJ's table at the New Brunswick train station. Volunteers needed to help, mornings Mon., Tues., and Wed. through December.

Recent Events: 

Annual Thanksgiving Giveaway, State House, Trenton. 

NJ Cannabis Insider: Career Fair & Business Expo Nov. 17 at Stockton U.

Treasury report: 

Checking: $10,885; PayPal: $944. 

Make a tax-deductible donation via PayPal to info@cmmnj.org, or send a check to: CMMNJ, 219 Woodside Ave., Trenton, NJ 08618.

CMMNJ's GivingTuesday fundraiser raised $130. Many thanks to all who donated!

Hemp wristbands are available, including wholesale prices. Will your store or dispensary display our colorful, all-hemp bracelets, so patrons can make donations to CMMNJ? We are deeply grateful for all support.

More info: 

Ken Wolski, RN, MPA (609) 394-2137 ohamkrw@aol.com 

Facebook: Friends of CMMNJ: https://www.facebook.com/groups/62462971150/

Coalition for Medical Marijuana-New Jersey: http://www.cmmnj.org 

Twitter: @CMM_NJ

CMMNJ blog: https://cmmnj.blogspot.com/

CMMNJ, a 501(c)(3) public charity, is a non-profit educational organization.

NJSNA Supports Insurance Bills for Medical Cannabis

NJSNA Supports Insurance Bills for Medical Cannabis

Judith Schmidt, the Chief Executive Officer of the New Jersey State Nurses Association/Institute for Nursing (NJSNA/IFN) said today that the NJSNA Board supports the following bills to provide insurance coverage for medical cannabis: 

S3799/A5760: Medical cannabis costs to be reimbursed by Senior Gold Prescription Discount Program, Pharmaceutical Assistance to the Aged and Disabled (PAAD), Catastrophic Illness in Children Relief Fund, and Criminal Injuries Compensation Act of 1971; and, 

A1708/S3406: Requires workers' compensation, PIP, and health insurance coverage for the medical use of cannabis. 

These bills are currently advancing through Senate and Assembly committees. New Jersey has some of the most expensive medical cannabis in the country, with an ounce of premium buds costing between $400-$500. This makes the medical benefits of cannabis unavailable to many residents who have been impoverished by their illnesses or injuries. We urge New Jersey legislators to support these inroads into insurance coverage, so that the poor can also have access to the therapeutic benefits of cannabis.

When passed into law, these bills will reduce healthcare costs in the state. Cannabis stabilizes multiple conditions in individuals. Greater access to cannabis therapy will result in fewer hospitalizations, fewer surgical procedures, and fewer emergency room visits. Please join with the NJSNA/IFN in support of these bills.

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

November 24, 2021

Testimony to the NJ Cannabis Regulatory Commission 11-9-21

Testimony to the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission

By: Ken Wolski, RN, MPA

Executive Director, Coalition for Medical Marijuana--New Jersey, Inc.

November 9, 2021

The Commission is interested in hearing the Coalition’s thoughts on the following:

1. How can the Commission best protect public health while allowing for a greater variety of cannabis items?

2. How can food safety requirements work together with cannabis safety regulations?

3. What forms of edibles should or should not be permitted?

4. Are some edibles appropriate for the medicinal cannabis market and not the recreational cannabis market?

5. What important information should consumers and patients be aware of if they are interested in purchasing edible cannabis items?

1. The CRC can best protect public health while allowing for a greater variety of cannabis items by doing exactly what it is doing now--developing regulations for edible cannabis items including the: 

⦁ Production; 

⦁ Testing; 

⦁ Labeling; 

⦁ Packaging; and,

⦁ Distribution of these items.

This will ensure that cannabis items are safely produced, periodically tested for cannabinoid content and contaminants, accurately labeled because of these tests, securely packaged with appropriate warnings, and distributed to adults from licensed vendors. 

The CRC should quickly adopt Dosing and Administration guidelines and promulgate these guidelines to the cannabis consuming community and the healthcare community in order to increase the safety and appropriate use of edible products. In fact, the “Jake Honig Compassionate Use Medical Cannabis Act" was signed into law over two years ago, requiring these guidelines that have yet to be adopted in New Jersey: 

     “g.    The commission shall establish, by regulation, curricula for health care practitioners…:

     (1)   The curriculum for health care practitioners shall be designed to assist practitioners in counseling patients with regard to the quantity, dosing, and administration of medical cannabis as shall be appropriate to treat the patient’s qualifying medical condition.  Health care practitioners shall complete the curriculum as a condition of authorizing patients for the medical use of cannabis.”

Educational programs on the Endocannabinoid System for medical providers in New Jersey (now including physicians, Advanced Practice Nurses, and Physician Assistants) are required. Dosing and Administration guidelines and Endocannabinoid educational programs are readily available. 

For example, a company called “Cannabis Expertise” offers 2-hour and 4-hour Medical Cannabis educational courses with nationally accredited AMA credits at https://cannabisexpertise.com/. These modules were the basis for healthcare professionals to be certified as recommenders in the states of Ohio and Pennsylvania. The organization trained healthcare professionals from 38 states and 9 countries. The dosing recommendations in the training have been developed by physicians who kept track of every patient’s profile and reaction to cannabis.

The New Jersey Department of Health’s Executive Order 6 Report on 3/23/2018: 

DEVELOPMENT OF PROVIDER EDUCATION PROGRAM AND DOSING GUIDELINES With the expansion of authorized debilitating conditions, the Department recognizes the need to provide education and guidance to providers. To that end, the Department is exploring the creation of an education program for all physicians, with focus on the endocannabinoid system. The Department plans to leverage the expertise of the Medicinal Marijuana Review Panel to oversee the curriculum development for this program. This education program will serve to create best practices for the safe and effective administration of medicinal marijuana to the expanded universe of qualifying patients. In conjunction with the provider education program, there is also a need to develop standardized dosing and administrative protocols for medicinal marijuana products, including information on expected effects, side effects, and adverse effects. In addition to the provider education component above, the Department will charge the Medicinal Marijuana Review Panel, in an advisory role, to oversee the study of the efficacy of medicinal marijuana in treating New Jersey Medicinal Marijuana Program patients. This research will inform dosing and administration protocols to create best practices and improve health outcomes for qualifying patients. The Department believes that this refocusing of the Medicinal Marijuana Review Panel will make the best use of the expertise that the Panel provides to create best practices to inform health care providers and improve health outcomes for qualifying patients. https://www.state.nj.us/health/medicalmarijuana/documents/EO6Report_Final.pdf

Marijuana is mainstream medicine. The Medical Cannabis program in New Jersey is expanding rapidly, and the adult use industry will soon expose even more residents to the therapeutic benefits of cannabis. As more and more people experience these benefits, health care professionals in the state must become comfortable incorporating cannabis use into the therapeutic regimens of their patients. This can be done most efficiently by requiring education on the Endocannabinoid System for all health care professionals in the state of New Jersey as a condition for continued licensure in the state.

The Jake Honig Act also called for “Institutional caregivers” in the state. These caregivers are employees of a health care facility who are authorized to assist registered qualifying patients, who are patients or residents of the facility, with the medical use of cannabis, including obtaining medical cannabis and assisting these patients with the administration of medical cannabis. Currently, most health care facilities forbid the use of medical cannabis in the facility. This is a dangerous and potentially fatal situation. A patient who suffers from seizures may be admitted to a health care facility and then denied access to the only medicine that controls their seizures--medical cannabis. I was part of a team that tried unsuccessfully to save a patient in Status Epilepticus, an unrelenting seizure condition, at Trenton Psychiatric Hospital in the early 1970’s. It was a tragic experience that I have never forgotten. It should not happen again.

In addition to the expanding medical cannabis program and the anticipated increase in cannabis users through the adult use program, it is my sincere hope that the state will recognize its responsibility to the institutionalized patients in New Jersey. For 25 years, I have worked as a registered nurse (RN) in the state prison system and at a state psychiatric hospital. I know that many patients in these institutions qualify for medical cannabis and could benefit greatly from it. The staff there is already trained to administer, account for, and evaluate the effect of controlled substances. There is no reason to withhold this important medical therapy from these patients. In fact, courts have determined that inmates are entitled to “community standards” of healthcare. Edible medical cannabis products will improve health care in state institutions, group homes, hospices, etc., and will reduce the costs of running these programs.

2. Cannabis safety regulations must work in conjunction with food safety requirements to ensure consumer safety in using edible cannabis products. 

According to the NJ Department of Health: 

A person or entity that engages in the production, distribution, and/or sale of food to consumers shall:

1. Have a Cottage Food Operator Permit; or

2. Comply with applicable laws to retail food establishments.

https://www.nj.gov/health/ceohs/phfpp/retailfood/cottagefood.shtml#cfo1

The Food Innovation Center at Rutgers University supports established early-stage entrepreneurs and existing food companies from concept to commercialization. For more information, see: https://foodinnovation.rutgers.edu/

Additionally, the sale of edible cannabis products should require a license from the CRC to ensure compliance with production, testing, labeling, packaging, and distribution regulations.

3. Any form of edibles should be permitted as long as the regulatory procedures are followed in terms of their safe production, periodic testing, accurate labelling, secure packaging, and appropriate distribution. There should be no arbitrary exclusions placed on cannabis products.

Marijuana therapy is highly individualized. The amount that is used each day is determined by what is necessary to control the symptoms of the patient. Anything that patients need should be available to them. This includes a wide variety of edible products. 

Edibles are especially important for patients. Some patients simply cannot use inhaled types of cannabis either because of their medical conditions, or because of their living conditions.

The State of New Jersey has determined that cannabis has medically beneficial uses. It needs to be liberally available to those who are suffering due to lack of access to it. 

Dietary restrictions should also be taken into consideration for edible items. For example, sugarless products should be available (and not necessarily with a "sugar-free" sweetener alternative). Vegan products and hypoallergenic dietary edibles should also be available.

Public health and public safety can be improved by making the widest possible variety of products, including all potencies, legally available to patients who require them. This will diminish reliance on the unregulated market.

4. Edible products that are appropriate for the medicinal cannabis market are also appropriate for the recreational cannabis market.

Public safety can be improved not by banning edibles and other high potency products from the adult use markets, but by regulating the use of these products.

These are products that many New Jersey residents already want and use for their health and happiness. 

Many so-called recreational, or adult users experience medical benefit from cannabis products for undiagnosed or untreated conditions. Patients without health insurance may not be able to afford access to most American health care, including psychiatric care. Other patients may be on the spectrum of some disorder—Anxiety, PTSD, etc.--that negatively impacts the quality of their lives but does not rise to the level of a diagnosable condition. These patients know that cannabis can improve their quality of life, without them technically being considered medical marijuana patients. 

Edible and other high potency products are already in common use in the state. To ban them only recreates the very marijuana prohibition that voters overwhelmingly rejected in the November 2020 election.

To deter the unregulated market, the legal market should have all the products the black market does. Ideally, NJ residents should have access to the whole plant, full spectrum concentrates, the leaves, roots, and raw cannabinoids, all of which are used medicinally.

5. Important information that consumers and patients should be aware of when purchasing edible cannabis items include: 

⦁ Total dosage of THC per package; 

⦁ Strength of THC per unit dosage; 

⦁ Special dietary contents if included (e.g., sugar-free, vegan, hypoallergenic); 

⦁ Expiration date and storage recommendations; and,

⦁ Warning that the package contains cannabis (See https://www.dfcr.org/universal-cannabis-symbol); 

Thank you for the opportunity to address this commission. I would like to congratulate the CRC for the mission that it has taken on, to create this new cannabis industry in the state with social justice at its core. I want to acknowledge the progress you have made in fulfilling this mission and note that you are doing all this while managing the Medical Cannabis Program.

Having worked in NJ state government for 25 years, I am aware of some of the challenges that you face.

I would also like to congratulate Phil Murphy on his reelection as governor of New Jersey. I'm confident that we can look forward to four more years of continued cannabis reform in this state, and that means a great deal to me and to all the people in New Jersey.

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

http://cmmnj.blogspot.com/

November 9, 2021

CMMNJ Monthly Meeting Agenda for November 9, 2021 at 7 pm

CMMNJ Monthly Meeting Agenda for Nov. 9, 2021 at 7 pm

Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88573601556?pwd=bHZJbVQ1eXNvc0JENktJNklWcnNLdz09

Meeting ID: 885 7360 1556

Passcode: 717193

Agenda: 

NJ gubernatorial election: Incumbent Gov. Phil Murphy made cannabis legalization a key part of his platform when he first ran in 2017. Republican challenger Jack Ciattarelli has said he supports decriminalization but not legalization. Ciattarelli believes that NJ voters were misled on the marijuana referendum. May the best man win.

NJ Medicinal Marijuana/Cannabis Program:

Insurance coverage bills for medical cannabis: 

S3799/A5760: Medical cannabis costs to be reimbursed by Senior Gold Prescription Discount Program, Pharmaceutical Assistance to the Aged and Disabled (PAAD), Catastrophic Illness in Children Relief Fund, and Criminal Injuries Compensation Act of 1971. Both bills advanced through Senate & Assembly Health Committees and were referred to Budget and Appropriations Committees. Take action with NORML!

A1708/S3406: Requires workers' compensation, PIP, and health insurance coverage for the medical use of cannabis. Passed in Assembly Committees; in Senate Commerce Committee. Take action with NORML!

Home cultivation for patients:

Governor Murphy says he’s open to giving adults the right to cultivate marijuana for personal use.

Legal weed is real in NJ — but so should be home cultivation | Opinion

• A5363/S3420 legalizes cultivation of eight medical cannabis plants.
• S3407/A5435 legalizes cultivation of six plants for any NJ adult. 
• S3582/A5552 legalizes cultivation of six plants for personal use, and 10 plants for medical use.

Sign the petition: Let Patients Grow NJ; Website: Let Patients Grow NJ #JeffsLaw.

The Cannabis Regulatory Commission (CRC): 

Physician assistants (PAs) and advanced practice nurses (APNs) are now eligible to enroll patients in the medical cannabis program and write recommendations for it the CRC announced on 10/8/21. PAs and APNs must be licensed and in good standing and must have a physical practice located in NJ. Currently, there are 1,311 doctors who can authorize patients to use medical cannabis. The state has more than 117,000 registered patients and 23 open dispensaries.

The CRC voted on 10/15/21 to issue 10 new licenses for medical marijuana cultivators and four new licenses for vertically integrated businesses, which grow, manufacture and sell medical marijuana at dispensaries. 

NJ CRC Holds Webinar for Budding Adult-use Cannabis Entrepreneurs

Hillview Med won a cultivator license in the 2019 medical cannabis license Request for Application (RFA). They are poised to be the first solo medical cannabis cultivator in New Jersey to open. CMMNJ has accepted a seat on Hillview’s Patient Advocacy Board.

Possessing marijuana is legal in N.J. but these ‘gray’ market operators got busted: CMMNJ said it “does not condone illegal activity, even as we recognize and respect civil disobedience in the face of unjust laws.”

The Lantern has launched the New Jersey Cannabis Project, an incubator in NJ to assist Social Equity applicants with the skills, resources, and knowledge to succeed in the industry.

The New Jersey Cannabis Trade Association said the state’s alternative treatment centers have enough cannabis to meet both patient demand and that of a 21-and-older market. The CRC will set a start date for legal sales, and has a statutory deadline of mid-February to do so. But there’s speculation they might miss it — the CRC missed a deadline to start accepting applications for new cannabis business licenses last month.

‘Big cannabis can be good cannabis’: Q&A with Curaleaf CEO Joe Bayern

Upcoming CRC Meetings:

• November 9, 2021 at 6p.m.
• December 7, 2021 at 6p.m.

The six kinds of personal-use cannabis business licenses that will be available:

1. Cultivator
2. Manufacturer
3. Distributor
4. Delivery
5. Retailer
6. Wholesaler

Ten Things You Can Do to Prepare for the Upcoming Release of New Jersey Recreational Cannabis License Applications

Expungement of Certain Marijuana or Hashish Cases: How to file a Motion with the Court to Review Your Case; FAQs.

Procedures for Requests for Judicial Review of Certain Marijuana Cases 

The New Jersey Judiciary has expunged more than 362,000 marijuana cases from court records since the Marijuana Decriminalization Law became effective July 1.

National: 

The New York Cannabis Control Board advanced regulations on 10/21/21 allowing medical cannabis to be grown at home. After a 60-day comment period, it will go into effect. 

The legal Marijuana Market size was valued at $20.73B in 2020 and is projected to reach $111.31B by 2028, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 23.43% from 2021 to 2028. The development of medical marijuana as an alternative to traditional medicine and the rise in social acceptance of marijuana are the key factors that have boosted the growth of the Legal Marijuana Market.

Leo Bridgewater, founder of BridgeH20 in Trenton said, “Not having access to SAFE Banking is equivalent to having both of our hands tied behind our back.” U.S. Sen. Cory Booker, the leader in the fight to end the federal ban on cannabis, insists that it be done in combination with social justice provisions to help the individuals and communities ravaged by the war on drugs. 

The Maryland Medical Cannabis Program has a survey for seniors 65 years and older to complete to ensure that the educational content developed meets their needs. Just click, and it should take about 3-5 minutes:  CannabizMD Survey.

Upcoming Events: 

NJ Cannabis Insider: Career Fair & Business Expo Nov. 17 at Stockton U.

The 25th Anniversary of Prop. 215 conference, San Francisco, November 5.

CMMNJ's table at the New Brunswick train station. Volunteers needed to help, mornings Mon., Tues. and Wed. through December.

Recent Events: 

The Library of New Jersey Inc. Expungement Clinic, West Orange, 11/23/21.

Rally at Philadelphia City Hall to mark seven years of Philly decrim, 10/20/21. 

The CRC Recreational Cannabis Statewide Webinar, October 13.

Real Cannabis Entrepreneur (RCE) conference held in Newark, 10/15 -16.

NJCBA: Friday Lunch & Learn with cannabis industry leaders. Free. 10/8, Noon. 

Treasury report: 

Checking: $11,148; PayPal: $454. 

Make a tax-deductible donation via PayPal to info@cmmnj.org, or send a check to: 

CMMNJ, 219 Woodside Ave., Trenton, NJ 08618.

Hemp wristbands are available, including wholesale prices. Will your store or dispensary display our colorful, all-hemp bracelets, so patrons can make donations to CMMNJ? We are deeply grateful for all support.

More info: 

Ken Wolski, RN, MPA (609) 394-2137 ohamkrw@aol.com 

Facebook: Friends of CMMNJ: https://www.facebook.com/groups/62462971150/

Coalition for Medical Marijuana-New Jersey: http://www.cmmnj.org 

Twitter: @CMM_NJ

CMMNJ blog: https://cmmnj.blogspot.com/

CMMNJ, a 501(c)(3) public charity, is a non-profit educational organization.

Medical marijuana should be covered by health insurance. What’s the hold up?

 

By Ken Wolski, RN, MPA, executive director of the Coalition for Medical Marijuana-New Jersey, Inc. 

Marijuana is currently recognized as safe and effective for the treatment of many diseases, symptoms, and conditions in 36 states and the District of Columbia.

It is true that medical marijuana is not FDA-approved, but this is because such approval is impossible. Marijuana, or cannabis, may well be the most researched drug in history. A PubMed.gov search of “cannabinoids” yields nearly 30,000 results.

The cannabis studies that cannot get done in America are the very studies that would lead to FDA approval — large-scale clinical trials. The only legal source of cannabis for these clinical trials is the federal government’s farm at the University of Mississippi. A court case determined that the federal government never had an adequate supply of cannabis to conduct large scale clinical trials. Moreover, the federal government generally approves research into the harms of cannabis, not its benefits. Federal police — the DEA — enforce this perversion of science.

Moreover, FDA approval is no guarantee of drug safety. People die every day from FDA approved drugs, while no one has ever died from an overdose of marijuana.

After five years of rigorous study and testimony at numerous hearings, in 2010 the New Jersey Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Act became law.

Medical marijuana has been legally available for purchase here since 2012. Currently, there are nearly 120,000 patients in the state’s program, with 20 Alternative Treatment Centers (ATCs) serving this population.

The cannabis that is available for patients is organically grown, with no possibility of it being contaminated by heavy metals or pesticides. The product is laboratory tested and the contents are accurately labelled so consumers know exactly what percentage of cannabinoids they have.

Knowledgeable employees of the ATCs are available to explain what consumers can expect from the different strains of cannabis. A periodically renewed recommendation by a licensed physician is required before purchase.

The ATCs are more strictly regulated than full-service pharmacies. Cameras monitor all activity in the ATCs, and redundant security systems are in place. The problem is that the consumer pays for this strict regulation. New Jersey has some of the most expensive medical cannabis in the country, with an ounce of premium buds costing between $400-$500. This makes the medical benefits of cannabis unavailable to many residents who have been impoverished by their illnesses or injuries.

The real question is, how do we best make medical cannabis available to patients who can benefit from it?

The New Jersey Supreme Court recently ruled that an individual in a Worker’s Compensation case should be reimbursed for the cost of medical cannabis associated with treatment of his work-related injury. This is a good first step.

Lawmakers have recently introduced bills to provide for some insurance coverage:

S3799/A5760 allows the costs of medical cannabis to be reimbursed by Pharmaceutical Assistance to the Aged and Disabled (PAAD), Senior Gold Prescription Discount Program, Catastrophic Illness in Children Relief Fund, and Criminal Injuries Compensation Act of 1971 (VCCO).

A1708/S3406 requires workers’ compensation, PIP, and health insurance coverage for the medical use of cannabis under certain circumstances.

These bills are currently advancing through Senate and Assembly committees. Urge your state legislators to support these inroads into insurance coverage, so that the poor in New Jersey can also have access to the therapeutic benefits of cannabis.

Published in NJ Cannabis Insider, Sept. 16, 2021

https://www.nj.com/cannabis-insider/2021/09/issue-181-high-priorities.html?fbclid=IwAR0VPZLZetCdNBEBNdjd2vhaxKorzesQM-cccfE18WTgKbr4QC0F3JhJd7k

CMMNJ on Hillview’s Patient Advocacy Board

New Jersey Medicinal Marijuana Program
New Jersey Department of Health
P.O. Box 360, Trenton, NJ 08625-0360
 
August 5, 2019
 
To the New Jersey Medicinal Marijuana Program Application Review Team:
 
The mission of the Coalition for Medical Marijuana–New Jersey (CMMNJ) is to bring about safe and legal access to medical marijuana for New Jersey patients who are under the care of licensed physicians and nurse practitioners. We increase support for our organization through education and outreach.
 
The CMMNJ is pleased to collaborate with HillviewMed Inc. (“Hillview”) through educational initiatives to build a healthier New Jersey. We have accepted a seat on Hillview’s Patient Advocacy Board, and we will designate a CMMNJ Board member to serve as a liaison between Hillview and CMMNJ. The goal is to have the voice of the many patients represented by CMMNJ empowered in the industry to effect positive change.
 
There are many synergies between Hillview’s corporate mission and the CMMNJ’s objectives. We appreciate that Hillview’s Chief Medical Officer is a Board-Certified Patient Advocate, as this reinforces the company’s patient-centric operations. Hillview’s creation of a Patient Advocacy Board further speaks to the company’s commitment to addressing the needs of the New Jersey patient community. We acknowledge the history of advocacy undertaken by Hillview’s officers, directors, and advisory board members. We anticipate that Hillview will support our ongoing operations and integrate into our networks to drive patient, caregiver, and healthcare provider enrollment in the NJMMP. We are aligned with Hillview’s educational approach to expanding the NJMMP, and we are eager to work together to build a healthier New Jersey.
 
Sincerely,
 
 
Ken Wolski, RN, MPA, Executive Director
Coalition for Medical Marijuana –New Jersey, Inc.