New Jersey passed its medical marijuana law in 2009, becoming the 14th state in the nation to have such policy. Under the new law, doctors are only permitted to prescribe weed for a set list of serious, chronic illnesses.
Patients are also not allowed to grow their own weed or use it in public. Additionally, the state, by legalizing marijuana for medicinal purposes, will track and regulate weed and its distribution.
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Lawmakers throughout the state have made their opinions on medical marijuana well known. Here is a sample of their thoughts:
1. New Jersey’s bill was modified many times, with the latest inclusion to allow marijuana treatment in certain medical cases affecting children,
specifically those with seizure disorders, CNN reported.
"For Vivian and many children like her, marijuana may be the only treatment that can provide life-changing relief," Assemblywoman Linda Stender, who sponsored the bill. "As a state, we should not stand in the way of that, and today's vote is definitely a step forward."
2. “I truly believe this will become a model for other states because it balances the compassionate use of medical marijuana while limiting the number of ailments that a physician can prescribe it for,” said Assemblyman Reed Gusciora, a Democrat from Princeton who sponsored the
legislation, according to The New York Times.
3. “We now have had three presidents that have admitted to smoking marijuana. People that are in public office all throughout the Senate have said, ‘Hey, I’ve smoked marijuana recreationally,'” said New Jersey’s U.S. Sen. Cory Booker during a CNN interview,
according to hMAG.
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“How much of a hypocrite do you have to be to say that I broke American laws using pot as a recreational thing [but] I’m not going to support this idea that as a medicine for severely sick people, that they [should] be able to access this drug?”
Booker is one of the sponsoring senators for the Compassionate Access, Research Expansion, and Respect States Act of 2015, which is described to “provide access to medical marijuana, and enable research into the medicinal properties of marijuana.”
4. Current New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie isn’t a fan of his state’s weed policy. He has gone so far as to call it a “front for legalization” since the state’s enrollment numbers are lower than expected. He also has no plans to move
marijuana into an all-out legalization status, according to NJ.com.
"We are following the law," said Christie. "And we are following a medically based program. But I am not going to allow de-facto legalization of marijuana in this state or regular legalization of marijuana in this state by statute. It's not going to happen on my watch."
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