ARTICLE: Medical marijuana moving forward in N.J., first center permitted for dispensing

By Matthew Arco | October 15th, 2012 - 3:09p

TRENTON – New Jersey residents with medical marijuana cards could have their prescriptions filled by the end of the year, the commissioner of the Department of Health announced Monday.

Commissioner Mary O’Dowd said the state issued a first of its kind permit that will allow a Montclair-area center to begin to dispense medicinal marijuana. The center, Greenleaf Compassion Center, is the first center in the state permitted to operate as an Alternative Treatment Center.

“The issuance of this permit marks a significant step forward,” O’Dowd said during a telephone news conference Monday afternoon.

O’Dowd also announced that medicinal marijuana patients will begin to receive their medical marijuana cards in the mail as soon as this week.

There are approximately 320 patients in the state who have either registered with the program or are in the process of completing that registration, she said.

The state’s medical marijuana program has had trouble getting off the ground. Although Gov. Chris Christie gave the program his OK last year, some proposed centers have had trouble getting started as local zoning and planning boards have opposed them.

Greenleaf was the first center in the state permitted for growing medical marijuana. The permit was issued in April.

O’Dowd said she didn’t know exactly when Greenleaf plans to open their doors, saying now that the center is properly permitted it’s just a matter of getting “all their ducks in a row” administratively before they will begin dispensing medical marijuana.

“I would expect that they’re working on that now,” she said, adding that she expects it to be before the end of the year.

There are five other alternative treatment centers in various stages of the permit process.

O’Dowd said she expects 190 medical marijuana cards to be sent out in the coming days.


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