A rare standoff between the Legislature and the Governor over the medical marijuana program has now steered New Jersey into uncharted waters within the Constitution.
Governor Chris Christie wants all the medical cannabis in The Garden State to be just three genetic strains, all containing less than 10% THC. The mid-grade pot would also come with orders for the state to intrude into the doctor/patient relationship.
Residents who live here with AIDS, cancer, Crohn’s Disease and other conditions that would qualify want something better from the compassionate use law that passed last year.
The Legislature is backing these potential medical marijuana patients and is currently moving to invalidate the contentious rules. Although the process was threatened under previous administrations no Governor has even taken it this far, with another deadline set to expire on Monday 2/21.
Sick and terminally ill residents have traveled to Trenton numerous times over the last few months to testify before Senate and Assembly committees. Their personal stories are heart wrenching, but their message is a unified plea to re-write the regulations.
It’s not just the cap on THC potency that is problematic. The 100+ pages of language turned out to be a minefield for ill residents, their doctors and potential non-profit providers.
- Doctors are ordered to be part of a registry to even recommend marijuana.
- Physicians would also be ordered to try to wean their patients off of cannabis in three months.
- Alternative Treatment Centers (ATC) in NJ might only be permitted distribute raw plant material, lozenges and topical creams: No edibles or tinctures would be allowed.
- Confusing and often conflicting requirements for Alterative Treatment Centers
- Elimination of all provisions for home delivery now requires patients or a single designated caregiver to visit one of 6 ATC sites around the state
In a strong signal of the Christie Administration’s unwillingness to compromise or even address the key points, no one from the Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) or the Governor’s Counsel testified at any of the hearings to defend the regulations.
But the crux of the issue really lies in the bigger picture. The proposed rules largely ignore science and medical evidence while dismissing the common practice for medical cannabis in 13 other US states. Worse, the Christie Administration has pursued these bad regulations without transparency, closing the door on sponsoring legislators and local advocacy groups.
Perhaps most frustrating is the wholly anti-conservative tone of the proposed medical marijuana regulations; presenting a template of ideas almost the polar opposite of Christie’s usual rhetoric and practice.
Ironically, Christie lauded himself in a speech to the national GOP audience at the American Enterprise Institute this week. There where he highlighted the “adult conversations” he’s having with voters on tough issues.
While some discussions were generated with firefighters over pensions, no such conversations have happened with the governor regarding the medical marijuana regulations.
Christie also touted his approval ratings in the speech as proof that his tactics are popular. Indeed, recent polling shows a 72% job approval rating among his base of Republican voters. The same poll found that 66% of Republicans support the Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Act.
So, it is entirely feasible that at some point during his administration Chris Christie will be less popular than medical marijuana – and that’s among Republicans. Democrats support the issue at even higher levels.
Attorney Justin Escher Alpert started off his testimony before the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Services committee on 1/20/2011 with this:
I am a very conservative republican. But the problem is that the [Christie] Administration has re-invented the wheel on this…and they have invented a wheel with flat sides and it’s not going to go anywhere. You can say let’s go forward with this [regulations] just because we have to move forward. But they have ignored the letter of the law, they have ignored the spirit of the law, they have ignored the will of the people they have ignored this Legislature treating it like a less than equal branch of government and it’s time to stay ‘stop.’ WATCH VIDEO
The intention on Christie’s part to water down and delay the medical marijuana program is clear. The public, media and elected officials have seen through the governor’s spin. Now the Legislature must show resolve.
The Senate and Assembly have already passed special resolutions. The public hearing last month in the Senate was another important step; the transcripts of the hearings were to be placed on the desks of legislators for twenty (20) days. That deadline is understood to expire on Monday February 21, 2011.
Attorney Justin Escher Alpert commented via phone today for this article: “ Medical marijuana is not a liberal or a conservative issue. But for conservatives this is gut-check-time. When we wave that liberty flag what exactly are we talking about?”
Comments
I do not smoke pot but years ago when I was in the Army we smoked a little while in combat of which I feel saved my life because it made so alert that I could hear a piss ant move at a hundred yards...And when I fired my weapon I did not miss, oh I was so accurate...Alcohol is legal which takes more lives than there are births (just saying)...I would say whatever people accept. (Right) C'mon Cristi are you kidding me, really do something for the people that are in pain...Besides Cannabis, the BUD is a known killer for cancer, diebeitis yes heart problems and it stops car crashes when you don't use alcohol...C'mon politicians do something for a change and pass this one!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Amen, brother.
Governor Christie is nothing more than a bully.. Remember the NJ public elected a morbidly obese Moran. This man can not control what goes into his mouth for health reasons. What makes anyone think he has any idea or logic when it comes to health related issues, or whats health is., Who cares? . Kick the moron out of office.. he is a parasite to the human race. In addition he is a health risk to himself.
Wow, I couldn't disagree more. I'd like to see this guy in the conversation for the next Republican Presidential ticket. I just sent this article to my father with a joke that finally Christie has done something I don't like. I think these actions are very out of character for him, and he's probably only doing it because of some personal beef he has with it. He needs to get over his hangup. None of those other rules apply to any other medicines, so why marijuana? It is state law now: <strong>it is medicine</strong>. Treat it that way.
The election of that ignorant pig Chris Christie was a tragedy for Medicinal Cannabis patients, this could be seen right away. This demagogue will do whatever his "masters" from the DEA will tell him to do! When we advocate against Cannabis prohibition, we must stress not just the “denial of good” which it entails, such as the remarkable medicinal properties of the plant, its violence-suppressing potential, or its ability to induce calm and relaxed state which is “worlds apart” from the effects of alcohol and many “legal” prescription drugs. Cannabis Prohibition is an unadulterated evil, as it pushes the people to engage in a dangerous substance use, such as the stories with alcoholic caffeinated drinks just explicitly demonstrated. My only hope in the midst of all this prohibitionist outrage is that its collapse is philosophically inevitable. In particular, when the DEA and its allies blackmail politicians into voting against Medicinal Cannabis, they do so on the basis of an unreal “entity”, the so-called “gateway drug” theory that is fully discredited by now as “half-baked”!
Before he starts concerning himself with the potential addiction of someone else, perhaps someone ought to do an intervention on his obvious addiction to food. This man has real issues and apparently small government isn't included in them. He is a fraud.
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