Despite Christie the Hutt's foot-dragging, medical marijuana (MM) is available in NJ.
My wife has had seizures ever since an auto accident in 1996. MM has allowed her to cut her Depakote from 2000mg to 1000mg and still keep her seizures under control.
I have to say that the folks running the program are the nicest state employees I've ever dealt with. They are prompt, polite and informative.
My wife is the patient. I am the caregiver. I submitted both applications at the same time. That was probably a mistake. I had to make an appointment for fingerprinting (fingerscanning, more like) and wait for a background check. My application couldn't be accepted until I was cleared. It took us over a month to get our cards. At the time, I had heard that it usually only took a week or two. I think I should have applied for her, then submitted my app after she had her card. You can add your caregiver at any time.
Everything is done on the NJMMP (New Jersey Medical Marijuana Program) website. The doctor logs in and can create accounts for patients, and they can submit the 30-60-90-day certification period. The ATC (Alternative Treatment Center - NJ's name for dispensary) logs in and can see amount allowed for the month. The patient logs in and can do all the patient stuff...check on the amounts/certification period, change ATC, add or change information, etc.
Our ATC (Compassionate Care Foundation, or CCF) is currently having trouble handling the demand. They've recently gone from about 100 patients to over 1000. They are currently increasing capacity, but in NJ, each ATC has to grow their own product, so it's likely to take some time.
My brother has glaucoma. He should have his card any day now.
MM has been legal in NJ for five years, but it is still new to most people...especially in the healthcare field. My wife recently had her second knee replaced. Inspira, Vineland. I brought up the MM to her nurse, then the floor nurse. Noone had ever brought it up before, and she had no idea what to do. My wife has a Pax, and I told her there would be no flame...no smoke...no smell. She checked with the doc, who said that she didn't need it, they were going to manage her pain using another method. Clueless. I explained that she uses MM for her seizures, and that pain management was not one of the few things for which you can get MM in NJ...and that I was surprised he didn't know that.
The next day, some doctor (a resident, I think) came in and stated he was a 'marijuana expert'. (I wish I had been there, I would have asked him what cannabinoid was used to control seizures.
) He said that he would give her a marijuana pill. Clueless. She refused, saying that Marinol was not used for seizures.
They couldn't decide on a policy, so we decided for them. Out of the bag. Click on. Turn green. Inhale. Click off. Back in bag. They had no idea.
OTOH, Marlton Rehab was awesome. It was new to them too, but as long as there was no flame/smoke/smell, they realized that it was a necessary part of her medication. She had a couple of elderly roommates, no complaints, not even about the smell.
My wife has had seizures ever since an auto accident in 1996. MM has allowed her to cut her Depakote from 2000mg to 1000mg and still keep her seizures under control.
I have to say that the folks running the program are the nicest state employees I've ever dealt with. They are prompt, polite and informative.
My wife is the patient. I am the caregiver. I submitted both applications at the same time. That was probably a mistake. I had to make an appointment for fingerprinting (fingerscanning, more like) and wait for a background check. My application couldn't be accepted until I was cleared. It took us over a month to get our cards. At the time, I had heard that it usually only took a week or two. I think I should have applied for her, then submitted my app after she had her card. You can add your caregiver at any time.
Everything is done on the NJMMP (New Jersey Medical Marijuana Program) website. The doctor logs in and can create accounts for patients, and they can submit the 30-60-90-day certification period. The ATC (Alternative Treatment Center - NJ's name for dispensary) logs in and can see amount allowed for the month. The patient logs in and can do all the patient stuff...check on the amounts/certification period, change ATC, add or change information, etc.
Our ATC (Compassionate Care Foundation, or CCF) is currently having trouble handling the demand. They've recently gone from about 100 patients to over 1000. They are currently increasing capacity, but in NJ, each ATC has to grow their own product, so it's likely to take some time.
My brother has glaucoma. He should have his card any day now.
MM has been legal in NJ for five years, but it is still new to most people...especially in the healthcare field. My wife recently had her second knee replaced. Inspira, Vineland. I brought up the MM to her nurse, then the floor nurse. Noone had ever brought it up before, and she had no idea what to do. My wife has a Pax, and I told her there would be no flame...no smoke...no smell. She checked with the doc, who said that she didn't need it, they were going to manage her pain using another method. Clueless. I explained that she uses MM for her seizures, and that pain management was not one of the few things for which you can get MM in NJ...and that I was surprised he didn't know that.
The next day, some doctor (a resident, I think) came in and stated he was a 'marijuana expert'. (I wish I had been there, I would have asked him what cannabinoid was used to control seizures.
) He said that he would give her a marijuana pill. Clueless. She refused, saying that Marinol was not used for seizures.They couldn't decide on a policy, so we decided for them. Out of the bag. Click on. Turn green. Inhale. Click off. Back in bag. They had no idea.
OTOH, Marlton Rehab was awesome. It was new to them too, but as long as there was no flame/smoke/smell, they realized that it was a necessary part of her medication. She had a couple of elderly roommates, no complaints, not even about the smell.
