New Jersey: State, corporate takeover of medical marijuana planned

Governor Christie and the legislature recently delayed the state’s medical marijuana law into 2011. Now it seems that the extra time was needed for New Jersey to orchestrate the first state and corporate takeover of a local medical cannabis industry.

Governor Christie’s amendment concept seems simple on the surface: Grow all the marijuana at one location and then distribute it at hospitals. But the proposal is fraught with a mountain of additional concerns that the current language of the law avoids.

An altruistic, therapeutic approach is already contained in the compassionate use law and officials should have been working on implementation. But instead of allowing private non-profits to operate the marijuana program the state is now seeking to have the ultimate drug monopoly with complete control over supply and demand.

Ken Wolski RN is the executive Director of The Coalition for Medical Marijuana of New Jersey. He said, “These proposed amendments represent an absolute corruption of the bidding process. Usually, this kind of shady dealing - steering contracts to favored private industry - goes on behind closed doors. Christie's process is transparent; he'll have all the legislators vote for it.”

New Jersey endorsed the medical value of cannabis for a variety of serious conditions in January when the state passed a medical marijuana law. Residents suffering with AIDS, cancer, MS, terminal illnesses and other afflictions were expecting legal access this year.

Now the patient perspective is being left out as New Jersey’s politicians and big-money lobbyists focus on the profits they think they can make from selling residents marijuana.

The New Jersey Council of Teaching Hospitals proposal especially seems to view suffering patients as nothing more than cash cows to fund their programs.

An expert at Rutgers University, the proposed grow site, is now telling the media they do not want to be involved.

It is unclear just why Senator Nicholas Scutari and Assemblyman Reed Gusciora, both Democrats, are allowing Governor Christie to have such a profound influence on the law that they worked for 5 years to pass.

Both Scutari and Gusciroa were skeptical of the Governor’s proposals but then began supporting them in recent weeks. Re-writing the Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Act to this design will likely cause it to fail in actually getting medical cannabis to ill residents as soon as possible.

Granting a state authorized monopoly on cannabis production and distribution will destroy New Jersey’s free-market medical marijuana industry before it starts. That may be the plan.

Drawing on the experience of thirteen states, the current language of New Jersey’s medical marijuana law would authorize 6 non-profit, private businesses to supply cannabis to authorized residents with an Alternative Treatment Center (ATC). In varying forms this is the system available in every other state that has a legal program.

The current language would spur some localized economic growth and create a truly compassionate approach. The law also has specific provisions that for-profit business would be considered after the 6 non-profit ATCs were up and running.

The New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services claimed that no proposals were being considered regarding medical marijuana. Letters sent to dozens of advocates, patients and potential Alternative Treatment Center operators who attempted to offer information stated:

"At this time, the Department is not reviewing proposals or receiving documents, nor is the Department meeting with potential vendors, advocacy groups, lobbyists or other interested parties to present business plans, strategies or offers of assistance. Given the large numbers and diverse recommendations, we believe this is the best way to assure an objective, science based strategy." Read full

Yet, Rutgers University and the New Jersey Council of Teaching Hospitals have enjoyed preferred access to propose plans to for the future of the cannabis program.

It seems clear that the intent of even the sponsoring legislators and Governor Christie is not to implement the current language of the New Jersey Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Act but dramatically amend it.

Those with qualifying conditions, who need cannabis for relief, are having their medicine and their lives turned into a political football by Trenton once again. Many patients currently gain access to marijuana in the underground market and have been left wondering if they will ever enjoy the legal protections intended by the law.

A patient with HIV/AIDS, who wished to remain anonymous said in an interview today, “They were supposed to make this easier for me. I want to be legal, you know – I live in fear every day. I've been arrested twice for weed- I don’t want to get in trouble again. But I don’t trust Rutgers or some hospital to get me the same [marijuana] that I can make a few calls and get this afternoon. A lot of my meds I get some help paying for but good weed costs some money and for me right now, I can barely cover it. But I tell you, it works.”

examiner.com