Browsing New Jersey

Lawmakers in the New Jersey Assembly voted 55 to 14 in favor of a bill that would add post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to the list of accepted health conditions that qualify a patient to obtain medical marijuana in the state. Under Assembly Bill 457, New Jersey residents who suffer from PTSD would be eligible for the state’s Compassionate Use of Medical Marijuana Act for the first time. However, this is only possible if the bill is approved by the Senate and not vetoed by Republican Governor Chris Christie. Post-traumatic stress …

TRENTON, NJ — On Friday, Senator Nicholas P. Scutari (D) announced plans introduce an bill to legalize cannabis in New Jersey. According to the Drug Policy Alliance, Sen. Scutari’s initiative will move to tax and regulate cannabis like alcohol. Specific details of the measure are still in the works. “Anybody that looks at the facts, knows that the war on marijuana has been a miserable failure.’’ – Sen. Nicholas Scutari As noted in a recent press release, the senator explains that New Jersey’s current marijuana policies …

TRENTON, NJ — In what was an overwhelming majority in both chambers, the New Jersey legislature voted Monday to legalize industrial hemp in the state. Senate Bill 3110 establishes a licensing system for industrial hemp in the state. Also outlined within the initiative are specific application procedures and requirements, including fingerprinting and criminal background checks for license applicants. The measure was unanimously approved Monday by the New Jersey Senate with a 37-0 vote. Also occurring Monday was a full Assembly vote that tallied 65-8. New Jersey Hemp Cultivation Relies On Federal Approval According to …

TRENTON, NJ — A New Jersey Assembly Committee voted 7-4 Tuesday to pass a measure that would allow registered patients easier access to medical cannabis. Specifically, the measure introduces a reciprocity agreement between New Jersey and other states with medical marijuana laws on the books. Introduced by Assemblywoman Linda Stender (D-Union), the measure would permit registered medical marijuana patients in the State of New Jersey to acquire medical cannabis from out of state and bring it home. “Our medical marijuana program is not functioning the way it should be.” – Linda Stender In order to assure that patients …

New Jersey Governor Opposes Medical Cannabis Reciprocity New Jersey Governor Chris Christie told reporters yesterday that he will veto a recently-proposed bill to expand the state’s current medical cannabis legislation, should it reach his desk. The measure, which was introduced by Assemblywoman Linda Stender (D-Union), would create a reciprocity agreement between New Jersey and other states with medical marijuana. “I am done expanding the medical marijuana program under any circumstances.” – Gov. Chris Christie In turn, registered medical marijuana patients in the State of New Jersey would be permitted to acquire medical cannabis from out of …

Compassionate Care Foundation Opened In Egg Harbor New Jersey’s second medical marijuana dispensary, Compassionate Care Foundation, opened for business in Egg Harbor Township today. As state law requires, no walk-ins will be permitted. Instead, one must have an appointment with the facility. Prospective medical marijuana patients must first be examined by a state-qualified physician. Once approved and registered in the State of New Jersey, patients will be contacted by a dispensary to schedule an appointment. “The center expects to harvest around 1,000 ounces of cannabis every two weeks.” As a …

Compassionate Care Foundation Received State Approval New Jersey approved the opening of the state’s second medical marijuana dispensary on Friday. According to the Department of Health, Compassionate Care Foundation, Inc. (CCF) was issued an operational permit following an inspection of their cultivation and dispensing facilities. Of course, the approval should come as no surprise. The Compassionate Care foundation was permitted to grow in June and New Jersey made headlines last month when they granted the CCF a $350,000 loan to help upgrade their facilities. With that said, state approval was to be …

NJEDA Approved Loan For Compassionate Care Foundation, Inc. With a move that comes immediately after New Jersey Governor Chris Christie signed a law changing the state’s medical cannabis policy, the Garden State is making another splash in the cannabis community. New Jersey’s Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) has agreed to grant Compassionate Care Foundation (CCF), a state-licensed collective, a $350,000 direct-term loan. Compassionate Care is a non-profit foundation launched in 2011 and their mission is simple. They will cultivate and distribute medical cannabis …

Scotch Plains 2-year-old toddler, Vivian Wilson, suffers from sever epilepsy with horrible seizures. Her parents were put in a tough situation when they couldn’t find a psychiatrist who would sign off on the consent form, which was the only thing preventing Vivian from being eligible to receive medical marijuana in New Jersey. “I’m talking about one little girl in Colorado going from having hundreds of seizures a week to now being off all her pharmaceutical medications and having about three seizures a week.” – Meghan Wilson “She’s very pattern sensitive,” her mother Meghan Wilson explained to …

The battle of life is, in most cases, fought uphill. To call Joe Stevens and Julio Valentin’s struggle an uphill battle, would be an enormous understatement. The opening of New Jersey’s first medical marijuana dispensary, Greenleaf Compassion Center, took hundreds of signatures, conference calls, and meetings before Stevens and Valentin’s dream finally materialized before them. “We are here for the patients, the people of New Jersey with debilitating conditions. They are the ones who are suffering.” – Julio Valentin The arduous 21-month process was mainly a waiting game for the two, as reports came …