NJ Gov. Chris Christie To Allow Medical Marijuana Law To Go Forward
Christie says he will allow the state to begin dispensing medical marijuana despite his concerns over whether federal authorities could prosecute state regulators.
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Christie says he will allow the state to begin dispensing medical marijuana despite his concerns over whether federal authorities could prosecute state regulators.
Roseanne Scotti, New Jersey director of the Drug Policy Alliance, hopes a lawsuit is a last resort. She notes that court cases can drag on for years and says her concern is patients having access now.
Christie said in an interview on New Jersey Network's "On the Line" show that he won't ask people to do things that might result in prosecution.
New Jersey officials are awaiting responses from federal prosecutors whether licensed medical marijuana sellers would face arrest.
New Jersey wants to know if its medical marijuana program violates federal law.
Marijuana advocates say the state's startup medical marijuana dispensaries have stronger ties to traditional medicine than most -- and an unusual number of politically connected people involved.
Poonam Alaigh's department has been caught up in disputed policy decisions such as trying to implement a medical marijuana law and cutting funding for women's health clinics.
Lawmakers passed a law more than a year ago to allow pot for patients with certain medical conditions, but exactly how it's done has been bogged down in the rule-making process.
Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy is making waves with efforts do decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana, and he's not stopping there.
Prospective licensees and advocates said the issue was complicated by the rules and regulations being set up. They said the state's proposed rules were so restrictive that their operations might not be viable.
Medical marijuana advocates say the regulations New Jersey has proposed for medical pot don't make sense for businesses, patients or doctors.
By a 22-16 margin, senators sided Monday with activists who say the regulations are so restrictive that patients who can benefit from marijuana may continue to get it from illegal dealers.
Democrats in the New Jersey Senate say they're planning to move forward with a vote Monday to force Gov. Chris Christie to rewrite strict new rules on medical marijuana.
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie eased his stance on proposed medical marijuana regulations after signing a deal on Friday paving the way for the drug to be available by next summer.
The compromise might be enough to short-circuit an effort in the Legislature to throw out medical marijuana regulations proposed by Christie's administration.
New Jersey's General Assembly has called on the Christie administration to relax its strict proposal to regulate medical marijuana.
Committees in the Senate and Assembly each passed resolutions Monday that would give the administration 30 days to rewrite the rules.
The state's Health and Senior Services Department will hold a hearing in Trenton.
Medical marijuana advocates said Thursday the state has gone too far with its proposed regulations for using the drug as medicine.
New Jersey's medical marijuana advocates are working on pushing the state government to implement the new state law to legalize cannabis for people suffering from certain conditions.
Gov. Chris Christie says Rutgers University's leadership on his medical marijuana plan is "disjointed."
Gov. Chris Christie says Rutgers University's leadership on his medical marijuana plan is "disjointed."
