Make "Compassion" Part Of Medical Marijuana Law Dispute

MedicalNeed

New Member
The sausage grinder here turning out laws moves slowly by design and in most cases serves the public well for it, but not in the case of New Jersey's attempt to bring medical marijuana to the ill and dying.

Gov. Christie had concerns about making available a substance that is illegal under federal law and wanted to make sure New Jersey didn't create an abusive atmosphere, like in California and elsewhere, where people with ingrown toe nails get pot.

The governor wanted Rutgers to handle the weed-growing, but the university pointed out if it did it could lose federal grants. Christie wanted only two places to grow it and four to distribute it, despite the law's calling for more of each. The administration also wanted levels of the active ingredient, THC, limited to 10 percent max. No other state does that.

Lawmakers were not amused, but each house handled it differently.

Sen. Nick Scutari, D-Union, a long time medical pot advocate, and his Senate pals told the administration via resolution that Christie's regulations weren't in keeping with what the Legislature wanted. It gave the front office 30 days to amend or withdraw the regulations. That was ignored.

The Assembly had gone down the same path, but then Assemblyman Reed Gusciora, D-Mercer, talked to the administration about making changes. They struck a deal. The number of places to grow and distribute was upped to six. The changes, he said, "are not perfect, but it's a starting point. I believe half a loaf is better than no loaf."

The Senate health committee held a hearing Thursday that could force the administration to go back to square one and start over. Each legislator gets a transcript, and after 20 days a second resolution can be adopted nullifying the regulations in part or whole. The Assembly would have to go along with the Senate or stick with Gusciora. If it sticks with Gusciora, the Senate move is a dead duck. Nullification has never gone all the way.

Gusciora said the rules under his deal mean the program is in place by the summer — 18 months after Gov. Corzine signed it into law. Nobody is sure when a program under a forced rewrite of the regulations would be in place. Whatever the time, it is too long.

Christie critics say the governor is pandering to right-wing elements of the GOP in Jersey and elsewhere. Scutari critics say his real issue with Christie is something else. Let's not doubt the sincerity of Christie, Scutari or others. But for goodness sake, there are people who are suffering from painful chronic diseases, terminally ill patients and people who are having trouble eating after heavy-duty medical treatment. We should be thinking about them and not egos and one-upmanship politics.

It is heartbreaking to watch people waste away because they can't keep food down. Yes, there are pills to combat nausea. They can't always keep those down, either. And after a couple of weeks, prescription pain-killers start to lose their effectiveness and you have to use more, which makes you feel like a zombie.

Modern medicine works wonders, but long before it existed people found natural products that helped the sick and suffering. Marijuana use has been traced to the third millennium B.C., and Shakespeare wrote about it. Before Bayer made aspirin, the main ingredient was found in the bark of the willow tree which people chewed.

Scutari says, "We only have one shot at this. We have to get it right."

Not true. Get the program in place and revisit any changes that need to be made later. It's called the Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Act. Compassionate is the most important part of the name and what's missing from this.


News Hawk: MedicalNeed 420 MAGAZINE
Source: app.com
Author: Bob Ingle
Contact: Asbury Park Press
Copyright: 2010 app.com
Website:Make "compassion" part of medical marijuana law dispute
 
Back
Top Bottom