Pubdate: Thu, 03 Jun 2010
Source: Philadelphia Inquirer, The (PA)
Copyright: 2010 Philadelphia Newspapers Inc
Contact:  http://www.philly.com/inquirer/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/340
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?253 (Cannabis - Medicinal - U.S.)

NO MORE DELAYS

Gov. Christie has not made a good enough case to delay  implementation
of the new law that will allow seriously  ill patients in New Jersey
to obtain medical marijuana.  He should stop being a roadblock.

Christie says another year is needed to write  regulations. He's just
stalling. The law goes into  effect in July, but it gives state
officials until  October to write the rules. That's sufficient time.

Christie had almost persuaded State Sen. Nicholas P.  Scutari (D.,
Linden), a prime sponsor of the law, to  delay it. Fortunately,
Scutari has recovered and is now  urging the governor to "make a
good-faith effort" to  implement it.

There were years of debate on how to proceed with such  a law before
it was finally passed last year and signed  in January by Gov. Jon S.
Corzine.

Many chronically ill people have been waiting for years  to legally
obtain marijuana as part of their treatment.  Christie hasn't provided
a valid reason to make them  suffer for yet another year.

There are steps the state should take immediately,  including
compilation of a patient registry. More  time-consuming will be the
establishment of  state-approved dispensaries authorized to distribute
  medical marijuana.

New Jersey's new law makes it only the 14th state to  legalize medical
marijuana. But legislators did a good  job of studying the mistakes
made elsewhere and have  written one of the strictest laws of its type
in the  country.

Unlike California, where liberal rules allowed the  medical marijuana
industry to explode into a booming  pot business, the New Jersey law
restricts access to  patients with "debilitating medical conditions,"
including chronic pain and terminal illnesses such as  cancer and AIDS.

Pennsylvania should follow New Jersey's lead with a  similar bill.
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake