The Times Editorial Board
It’s been nearly a week since the first medical marijuana dispensary opened its doors in New Jersey. So far, there has been no sign of reefer madness on the streets of Montclair where the Greenleaf Compassion Center has set up its innocuous storefront.
More importantly, the first patients are finding relief from their chronic pain with the low-grade strains of marijuana approved by the state.
One of those initial patients is Susan Sturner of Lawrence who devoted most of a day last week to the 100- mile round trip to the distribution center in Essex County. Sturner, who suffers from glaucoma and its side effects of intense headache and nausea, returned with a half-ounce of pot to ingest by smoking and brewing tea.
In an interview with Times staffer Christina Izzo, Sturner described the painful and frustrating journey that led her finally to a safe treatment for easing her symptoms and lessening the pressure on her optic nerves.
Also diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, fibromyalgia and hepatitis C, Sturner was not eligible for the state’s medical marijuana program until her glaucoma became severe.
Worried about going blind and facing surgery with no guarantee of success, Sturner also is unable to use eye medications due to allergies. She’s found an answer in the small quantity of pot that cost $260 — as well as the 7 percent state tax.
Now that the program is up and running — and none of the nightmare scenarios predicted by opponents of the dispensaries has materialized — we hope that the other five nonprofits with permission to open centers will have better success in convincing municipalities that they represent not a threat but therapy.
While another center is expected to open in Egg Harbor, that location still will be an inconvenience for Central Jersey patients.
The Obama administration recently said it will not prosecute dispensaries that comply with state laws even though the federal government considers marijuana illegal. As the scouting for a Trenton-area location continues, perhaps that promise will allay some of the fears and opposition expressed at various hearings.
Two things we’d like to suggest for the Legislature’s January to-do list:
• Reconsider the tax that’s out of place in a state where other prescription medications and over-the-counter remedies such as cough medicine are exempt.
• And consider expanding the list of chronic conditions and illnesses eligible for treatment to help other New Jersey residents suffering needlessly.
Sunday, December 23, 2012
Friday, December 14, 2012
ARTICLE: bigger fish to fry
Washington (CNN) – President Barack Obama says that federal law enforcement agencies have “bigger fish to fry” than prosecuting marijuana users in Colorado and Washington, which voted in November to legalize the recreational use of marijuana.
Obama made explicit in an interview to air Friday on ABC News that prosecution of marijuana users in the two states would be placed low on his Justice Department’s list of law enforcement priorities, but that certain issues must still be ironed out as more states could pass similar legislation.
“This is a tough problem, because Congress has not yet changed the law,” Obama said. “I head up the executive branch; we’re supposed to be carrying out laws. And so what we’re going to need to have is a conversation about, How do you reconcile a federal law that still says marijuana is a federal offense and state laws that say that it’s legal?”
In a statement Monday, U.S. Attorney John Walsh said that the Department of Justice is “reviewing” the initiatives passed in both states and that the department’s “responsibility to enforce the Controlled Substances Act remains unchanged.”
“Regardless of any changes in state law, including the change that will go into effect on December 10 in Colorado, growing, selling or possessing any amount of marijuana remains illegal under federal law,” Walsh said.
The Justice Department is familiar with negotiating contradictory state and federal laws on marijuana. Aside from the two states which have legalized recreational use of marijuana, 18 states and the District of Columbia have allowed legal use of the drug for medical reasons.
Marijuana is listed as a Schedule I drug by the Drug Enforcement Agency, meaning it’s dangerous and has no medical use. Other Schedule I drugs include heroin, ecstasy, and psychedelic mushrooms. Medical marijuana advocates say it should be listed under Schedule II, comparing it to other prescription painkillers that have a high potential for abuse.
In California alone, more than 1,000 medical marijuana dispensaries are in business, employing thousands and providing state and local governments as much as $105 million in taxes each year.
But federal prosecutors are getting tougher. Last year, law enforcement agents seized 3.9 million plants in the Golden State and were poised to collect more this year.
Marijuana advocates say the attack collides with California’s law and goes against a campaign promise by Obama to not circumvent the state’s relaxed rules.
A USA Today/Gallup poll conducted after November’s election indicted 64% of Americans felt the federal government should not take steps to enforce federal anti-marijuana laws in states where it has been made legal for recreational use.
A Quinnipiac University poll conducted between November 28 and December 3 showed 51% of registered voters nationwide thought marijuana should be made legal in the United States, compared to 44% who thought it should remain illegal.
CNNMoney’s Jose Paliery contributed to this report.
Obama made explicit in an interview to air Friday on ABC News that prosecution of marijuana users in the two states would be placed low on his Justice Department’s list of law enforcement priorities, but that certain issues must still be ironed out as more states could pass similar legislation.
“This is a tough problem, because Congress has not yet changed the law,” Obama said. “I head up the executive branch; we’re supposed to be carrying out laws. And so what we’re going to need to have is a conversation about, How do you reconcile a federal law that still says marijuana is a federal offense and state laws that say that it’s legal?”
In a statement Monday, U.S. Attorney John Walsh said that the Department of Justice is “reviewing” the initiatives passed in both states and that the department’s “responsibility to enforce the Controlled Substances Act remains unchanged.”
“Regardless of any changes in state law, including the change that will go into effect on December 10 in Colorado, growing, selling or possessing any amount of marijuana remains illegal under federal law,” Walsh said.
The Justice Department is familiar with negotiating contradictory state and federal laws on marijuana. Aside from the two states which have legalized recreational use of marijuana, 18 states and the District of Columbia have allowed legal use of the drug for medical reasons.
Marijuana is listed as a Schedule I drug by the Drug Enforcement Agency, meaning it’s dangerous and has no medical use. Other Schedule I drugs include heroin, ecstasy, and psychedelic mushrooms. Medical marijuana advocates say it should be listed under Schedule II, comparing it to other prescription painkillers that have a high potential for abuse.
In California alone, more than 1,000 medical marijuana dispensaries are in business, employing thousands and providing state and local governments as much as $105 million in taxes each year.
But federal prosecutors are getting tougher. Last year, law enforcement agents seized 3.9 million plants in the Golden State and were poised to collect more this year.
Marijuana advocates say the attack collides with California’s law and goes against a campaign promise by Obama to not circumvent the state’s relaxed rules.
A USA Today/Gallup poll conducted after November’s election indicted 64% of Americans felt the federal government should not take steps to enforce federal anti-marijuana laws in states where it has been made legal for recreational use.
A Quinnipiac University poll conducted between November 28 and December 3 showed 51% of registered voters nationwide thought marijuana should be made legal in the United States, compared to 44% who thought it should remain illegal.
CNNMoney’s Jose Paliery contributed to this report.
Friday, December 7, 2012
ARTICLE: STAR LEDGER, New Jersey.com GREENLEAF COMPASSION CENTER OPENS TODAY.
MONTCLAIR — New Jersey’s first medical marijuana dispensary opens Thursday after years of battles and bureaucratic delays in enacting a controversial law signed on former Gov. Jon Corzine’s last day in office.
The founders of Greenleaf Compassion Center in Montclair said today they expected to make the first legally sanctioned sale of pot late this morning — with only patients who have recommended by their doctor, registered with the state Health Department and scheduled for an appointment allowed to get through the door.
"We are extremely excited to serve the patients of New Jersey and humbled the state gave us a permit to let us do this," said Joe Stevens, board member and Greenleaf co-founder.
Advocates said the dispensary’s opening — first reported today by The Star-Ledger on nj.com, its online home — will begin to give patients relief traditional medicine hasn’t provided.
Roseanne Scotti, director of New Jersey Drug Policy Alliance, one of the advocacy groups that helped get the law passed, called the announcement "an incredible and historic moment for some of the most seriously ill patients" in New Jersey.
About 20 of the 338 registered patients have been scheduled to meet with Greenleaf on Thursday. Patients are being called in the order the state issued their identification cards.
Thursday’s opening will come after fights between Gov. Chris Christie, who said the law he inherited was too lax, and advocates who said he was taking too long to bring relief to patients in pain.
As Christie and lawmakers wrestled over the program’s rules, the health department — creating the program from scratch — encountered problems with screening potential dispensary operators.
Tim Sparvero/The Star-Ledger
The governor repeatedly stressed New Jersey would not resemble the "de facto legalization" of pot in Colorado and California, and he put John O’Brien, a retired State Police lieutenant, in charge. New Jersey’s medical marijuana law is the nation’s toughest.
Julio Valentin, a board member and one of the center’s original founders, said patients and the community should have faith in the program’s integrity. The Bloomfield Avenue storefront is secure, and the marijuana has been tested and deemed free of pesticides, mold and fungus. "People will have a place that is safe and secure," Valentin said. "They won’t have to hide in the shadows anymore."
Patients are limited to buying no more than 2 ounces of pot a month, but their physicians may recommend less. Initially, Greenleaf plans to sell no more than a half-ounce so the supply it has grown at an undisclosed indoor facility can stretch to every registered patient, board members said.
"We are asking for their cooperation and patience right now. Going forward, those limitations will be lifted," said Parita Patel, an attorney and board member.
Patients must pay cash, Stevens said. Under program rules that prohibit advertising, Greenleaf said it could not disclose its prices. Patients who can verify they are low-income will be eligible for a discount, said Jordan Matthews, an attorney and board member.
Greenleaf staff will discuss patients’ medical history, and recommend how a particular strain might help alleviate symptoms, said Sanjeev Patel, a board member and hotel developer. "Everybody’s body reacts a different way," he said.
State Health Commissioner Mary E. O’Dowd said program officials will be at the center Thursday to monitor the operation.
STAY CONNECTED 24/7 Download our free NJ.com mobile and tablet apps to keep up with the latest New Jersey news, sports and entertainment.
"The department has worked closely with Greenleaf to ensure the integrity of the program," O’Dowd said. We are "gratified that qualified patients will have access to medicinal marijuana in an appropriate setting."
Marta Portuguez of Roselle Park called Thursday’s opening "a wonderful thing," and said she eagerly awaits her turn to legally use pot for several chronic illnesses that cause severe pain and frequent muscle spasms. Portuguez said she uses marijuana to lessen the pain and reduce the intensity of the spasms. "I do just enough to stop what is driving me insane," she said.
Greenleaf is one of six approved nonprofit "alternative treatment centers," but the others have had difficulty finding a place to open or passing the state’s review process.
"The program will only be successful if all patients throughout our state have reasonable access to this treatment," said Assemblyman Reed Gusciora (D-Mercer), who co-sponsored the law.
The founders of Greenleaf Compassion Center in Montclair said today they expected to make the first legally sanctioned sale of pot late this morning — with only patients who have recommended by their doctor, registered with the state Health Department and scheduled for an appointment allowed to get through the door.
"We are extremely excited to serve the patients of New Jersey and humbled the state gave us a permit to let us do this," said Joe Stevens, board member and Greenleaf co-founder.
Advocates said the dispensary’s opening — first reported today by The Star-Ledger on nj.com, its online home — will begin to give patients relief traditional medicine hasn’t provided.
Roseanne Scotti, director of New Jersey Drug Policy Alliance, one of the advocacy groups that helped get the law passed, called the announcement "an incredible and historic moment for some of the most seriously ill patients" in New Jersey.
About 20 of the 338 registered patients have been scheduled to meet with Greenleaf on Thursday. Patients are being called in the order the state issued their identification cards.
Thursday’s opening will come after fights between Gov. Chris Christie, who said the law he inherited was too lax, and advocates who said he was taking too long to bring relief to patients in pain.
As Christie and lawmakers wrestled over the program’s rules, the health department — creating the program from scratch — encountered problems with screening potential dispensary operators.
Tim Sparvero/The Star-Ledger
The governor repeatedly stressed New Jersey would not resemble the "de facto legalization" of pot in Colorado and California, and he put John O’Brien, a retired State Police lieutenant, in charge. New Jersey’s medical marijuana law is the nation’s toughest.
Julio Valentin, a board member and one of the center’s original founders, said patients and the community should have faith in the program’s integrity. The Bloomfield Avenue storefront is secure, and the marijuana has been tested and deemed free of pesticides, mold and fungus. "People will have a place that is safe and secure," Valentin said. "They won’t have to hide in the shadows anymore."
Patients are limited to buying no more than 2 ounces of pot a month, but their physicians may recommend less. Initially, Greenleaf plans to sell no more than a half-ounce so the supply it has grown at an undisclosed indoor facility can stretch to every registered patient, board members said.
"We are asking for their cooperation and patience right now. Going forward, those limitations will be lifted," said Parita Patel, an attorney and board member.
Patients must pay cash, Stevens said. Under program rules that prohibit advertising, Greenleaf said it could not disclose its prices. Patients who can verify they are low-income will be eligible for a discount, said Jordan Matthews, an attorney and board member.
Greenleaf staff will discuss patients’ medical history, and recommend how a particular strain might help alleviate symptoms, said Sanjeev Patel, a board member and hotel developer. "Everybody’s body reacts a different way," he said.
State Health Commissioner Mary E. O’Dowd said program officials will be at the center Thursday to monitor the operation.
STAY CONNECTED 24/7 Download our free NJ.com mobile and tablet apps to keep up with the latest New Jersey news, sports and entertainment.
"The department has worked closely with Greenleaf to ensure the integrity of the program," O’Dowd said. We are "gratified that qualified patients will have access to medicinal marijuana in an appropriate setting."
Marta Portuguez of Roselle Park called Thursday’s opening "a wonderful thing," and said she eagerly awaits her turn to legally use pot for several chronic illnesses that cause severe pain and frequent muscle spasms. Portuguez said she uses marijuana to lessen the pain and reduce the intensity of the spasms. "I do just enough to stop what is driving me insane," she said.
Greenleaf is one of six approved nonprofit "alternative treatment centers," but the others have had difficulty finding a place to open or passing the state’s review process.
"The program will only be successful if all patients throughout our state have reasonable access to this treatment," said Assemblyman Reed Gusciora (D-Mercer), who co-sponsored the law.
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