by Jeffrey A. Moore

Created on: December 11, 2008   Last Updated: December 19, 2008

The "New Jersey Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Act" was first introduced by Senator Nicholas P. Scutari (D-Linden) on January 11, 2005 with the intent of protecting people with debilitating medical conditions from arrest and prosecution for the use of medical marijuana. A companion bill is pending in the Assembly, sponsored by Assemblyman Reed Gusciora (D-Princeton) and Assemblyman Michael Carroll (R-Morris Township).

Senator Scutari stated that "compassion for the suffering" justifies the legalization of medical marijuana in New Jersey.

A recent poll claims that 86% of New Jersey's registered voters approve of the use of medical marijuana, but New Jersey residents are unable to pass laws through the initiative process, so they must depend on their state legislators for lawmaking; and the bill has been engaged in legislative committees for nearly four years.

The "New Jersey Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Act" (A804 & S119), viewable at: http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/bills/BillView.asp?Bill Number=S119, would allow patients or their caregivers to grow and use a small amount of marijuana when a licensed physician recommends it for chronic pain, nausea, cancer, AIDS, multiple sclerosis, Crohn's disease, etc. New Jersey patients would be issued state ID cards so law enforcement personnel could easily see they are legal medical marijuana users.

Medical research suggests that marijuana may alleviate pain or other symptoms associated with certain debilitating medical conditions. Federal law, however, currently prohibits the use of marijuana in the state of New Jersey.

On November 4, 2008, Michigan became the most recent state, 13 states in all, to approve of the use of medical marijuana to protect seriously ill or injured patients who use marijuana therapeutically with the recommendation of licensed physicians.

The Coalition for Medical Marijuana-New Jersey, Inc., (CMMNJ) is a non-profit educational organization whose mission is to educate the public about the benefits of safe and legal access to marijuana for patients who are under the care of licensed physicians and nurse practitioners. CMMNJ Executive Director, Ken Wolski, RN said, "The American people understand the need for this safe, effective and inexpensive therapeutic agent. Nearly 25% of all Americans now live in a medical marijuana state and eventually, medical marijuana will be legal throughout the country. How long will it take New Jersey to approve this? Every day, seriously ill New Jersey patients

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