Pubdate: Tue, 25 Jun 2013
Source: Philadelphia Inquirer, The (PA)
Copyright: 2013 Philadelphia Newspapers Inc
Contact:  http://www.philly.com/inquirer/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/340
Author: Jan Hefler

MEDICINAL POT FOR CHILDREN UP TO CHRISTIE

Assembly Passed Bill to Make It Easier for the Severely Sick to Use the Drug.

It's now up to Gov. Christie to decide whether he wants to amend the 
state's medical marijuana law and regulations - the strictest in the 
country - to make it easier for severely sick children to use the drug.

The New Jersey Assembly overwhelmingly passed a bill Monday, days 
after the Senate passed identical legislation, that would streamline 
the approval process and allow children to use an edible strain of 
cannabis that does not get them high.

No child in New Jersey has legally received cannabis, according to 
the Assembly bill, though children are eligible under the state's 
three-year-old medical marijuana law.

The parents who pushed for the legislation tried to see the governor 
after the vote, accompanied by Assemblywoman Linda Stender (D., 
Union), but weren't granted a meeting with him.

Instead, they were permitted to talk to a staffer, who promised to 
relay their concerns to Christie.

Meghan Wilson, whose 2-year-old daughter, Vivie, has Dravet syndrome, 
a rare form of epilepsy, said passage of the legislation was 
"fantastic." But she worries that Christie may not sign the bill.

The vote was 55- 13, with nine abstentions. The bill would require 
minors to get consent from only one doctor instead of three - the 
same as adults - and would allow an edible cannabis to be sold, which 
would be easier for a child to use than smoking.

"I hope when Gov. Christie gets this on his desk, he can take off his 
governor hat and put on his dad hat and think about what would he do 
if one of his children had a disease for which conventional 
medications and treatments don't help," said Wilson, of Scotch Plains.

Vivie has been hospitalized 20 times and can only say three words 
because the frequent seizures and addictive medications she has taken 
have stopped her development, her mother said. About 20 children with 
epilepsy have taken cannabis in Colorado and California and become 
seizure-free, she said. They used a strain that has no THC, the 
ingredient that causes euphoria.

Last month, Christie, when asked about Vivie Wilson, said he was "not 
inclined to allow" minors access to cannabis.

Epilepsy is one of a dozen serious diseases and conditions that 
qualify for cannabis treatments in the state.

Christie has repeatedly said he wants to avoid New Jersey becoming 
like California, where, he said, "potheads" can get cannabis for 
headaches. Headaches are not on New Jersey's list of qualifying conditions.

He said he wants to show compassion to the sick but believes strict 
regulations are needed to curb access to the drug.

His spokesman did not return e-mails or a call seeking comment. 
Christie has 45 days to act.

Jennie Stormes, a registered nurse whose 14-yearold son, Jackson, has 
Dravet, said she wants her son to have "the opportunity" to try 
cannabis after about 35 prescribed drugs and brain surgery have failed him.

"I hope at this point that Gov. Christie has the heart to let my 
child get this medication and be seizure-free," said the Warren 
County woman. She said she gave Christie's staffer a picture of her 
son and asked her to tell Christie to "please" sign the bill.

Vivie and Jackson Stormes both received medical marijuana cards in 
February, but they have encountered obstacles in getting access to the drug.

So far, only one dispensary is open, in Montclair, Essex County, and 
it has served only about 130 of the 1,000 patients registered with the program.

Children also face restrictive provisions in the law and Health 
Department regulations.

Currently, only a dry form of cannabis, lozenges, and a topical 
ointment are allowed to be sold. The parents say the drug should also 
be offered in edible form or as a tincture or extract that can be 
mixed into butter. The dry form is mainly for smoking, while the 
lozenge can make a child choke, the parents say.

A Health Department spokesperson said the dry form can be converted 
into an edible variety, but Wilson said that would effectively 
require "setting up a laboratory" because she needs precise amounts 
and ratios before she can give her child cannabis.

Sen. Nicholas Scutari ( D., Union), who sponsored the original 
marijuana bill, said: "Our medical marijuana program should have 
restrictions in place to protect against abuse, but it cannot be so 
limited that patients who are eligible for the program cannot access care."

The bill before Christie would also amend the law so that children 
would not need to get consent from a pediatrician and a psychiatrist 
in addition to their treating doctor.

Finally, the legislation would allow dispensaries to produce an 
unlimited number of strains. Because Dravet is so rare, Wilson and 
Stormes fear the variety their children need may not be cultivated 
because the dispensaries are only permitted to sell three strains.

The strain being used by children afflicted with epilepsy in Colorado 
and California has high-potency cannabidiol, a key compound, as well as no THC.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom