There’s no self-service in New Jersey: not for gas, and, under the state’s new medical-marijuana measure, not for grass.
Unlike the 14 states that have legalized medical marijuana, New Jersey will not let residents grow their own, according to the bill that passed the Legislature Monday night.
Instead, those suffering from a short list of severe conditions, including cancer, AIDS and Lou Gehrig’s disease, will be able to get a prescription from their doctor to register for the right to purchase weed at state-regulated dispensaries.
These “alternative treatment centers,” which can be either nonprofit organizations or for-profit ventures, will be licensed to grow and distribute of various strains of cannabis that have been developed to alleviate suffering from a range of conditions. Patients will be limited to two ounces per month.
“During the course of the day, they want to use an energetic strain that keeps people sharp, and at night a different one,” said marijuana expert Chris Conrad, who teaches at “Oaksterdam University” in California. “The legislators probably do not realize the sheer number of strains the dispensaries will need to carry.”
Unlike California, where having suffered through a single episode of “Jersey Shore” might qualify someone for medical marijuana, the measure is considered the most stringent in the nation, perhaps too strict, said Roseanne Scotti, director of Drug Policy Alliance of New Jersey.
“If it is too costly and too restrictive, people may not want to open centers,” she said.
Outgoing Gov. Jon Corzine is expected to leave office on a high note, when he signs the bill into law. But after that, state officials will need to hash out details.
Although the measure limits medical-marijuana conditions, there is a provision to add others to the list, and advocates expect the drug will be available to those suffering from many more ailments in years to come.
A medical-marijuana bill passed the New York Assembly’s Health Committee yesterday, but it still has hurdles to clear.
“If a patient and their physician are in agreement that the most effective way of controlling their symptoms is marijuana, government should not stand in the way of treatment,” Assemblyman Richard Gottfried (D-Manhattan) said.