by Kevin Hagen

Created on: December 14, 2008   Last Updated: December 19, 2008

New Jersey may join a number of other states that have legalized marijuana for certain medical purposes. The "New Jersey Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Act" is being considered as Bill 119 in the Senate and Bill 804 in the General Assembly. If these bills are passed, patients with serious debilitating illnesses such as cancer, HIV and AIDS, multiple sclerosis, chronic pain, severe nausea, seizures, persistent muscle spasms, and other conditions would be allowed to possess and use marijuana to alleviate their symptoms, with their doctors' recommendations. The patients and caregivers would register with the Department of Health and Human Services and be given ID cards.

The medical marijuana bills were introduced on January 10, 2005 by Senator Nicholas Scutari and Assemblyman Reed Gusciora. According to the Marijuana Policy Project, Governor John Corzine has supporting protecting medical marijuana patients and would sign this legislation. The General Assembly Health and Senior Services Committee held an informational meeting on the bill on May 22, 2008. This was the first committee hearing on legislation to legalize the medical use of marijuana in almost two years. The Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee held a legislative hearing on December 15, 2008.

The Drug Policy Alliance New Jersey, which kicked off their Compassionate Use Campaign in 2006 with polling that showed that 86% of New Jersey residents support allowing access to medical marijuana, has led the lobbying efforts. This campaign was the start of legislative hearings on a medical marijuana bill in New Jersey. According to the Marijuana Policy Project, this proposed legislation has gained the support of the New Jersey State Nurses Association, the New Jersey Academy of Family Physicians, the New Jersey Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, the New Jersey League for Nursing, and the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's southern and northern New Jersey chapters, among many other organizations. The Coalition for Medical Marijuana New Jersey, which is also leading the fight to get medical marijuana legalized, cites a 2008 position paper from the American College of Physicians entitled "Supporting Research into the Therapeutic Role of Marijuana" that endorses the medical use of marijuana.

According to the Stop the Drug War Organization, the main opposition to the proposed legislation in New Jersey has come from the Ocean County Deputy District Attorney and the executive director

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