Pubdate: Fri, 28 Feb 2014
Source: Trentonian, The (NJ)
Copyright: 2014 The Trentonian
Contact:  http://www.trentonian.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1006
Author: Sherrina V Navani

PARENTS RALLY AT STATEHOUSE TO CLEAR RED TAPE ON MEDICAL MARIJUANA FOR KIDS

TRENTON - On Thursday, just steps away from Gov. Chris Christie's 
Statehouse office, a slew of desperate and distraught parents begged 
the administration to re-evaluate the stringent guidelines of the 
state's current medical marijuana law to help get the medicine their 
suffering children need to live a better life.

"My daughter died because she didn't have a chance," said Phil Joana, 
whose 15-month-old daughter, Sabina Rose, died in December after 
suffering a 24hour Tonic clonic seizure. The baby was diagnosed with 
Drevet Syndrome and was in arduous process of obtaining a state 
issued Medical Marijuana Card when she passed away. "She only 
celebrated one birthday, one time putting her feet in the water and 
only one Christmas."

In December, Christie signed bill S2842 to allow an edible strain of 
medical cannabis to be given to minors. However he's not willing to 
expand the state's program to include adults, leaving preteen and 
teens venerable to being phased out of the program and not able to 
get the "pot" they need to stay alive.

Additionally, supporters of the medical marijuana program cite the 
extensive amount of paperwork, doctor referrals, physiological 
analysis and limited dispensaries, under the current program, that 
makes getting the medication their children need, virtually impossible.

One parent even noted the high price of purchasing the medical 
marijuana, an excess of $550 for one treatment for her epileptic 
daughter. The patient was charged tax, despite it being a prescribed substance.

Assemblywoman Linda Stender (D22) hosted the press event and talked 
about legislation which could legally allow New Jersey Medical 
Marijuana patients to obtain forms of pot not sold in the state from 
other states with medical marijuana programs.

Bill A-1374 would make it easier for registered sick patients to get 
the pot by creating a reciprocity rule to access the relief they need 
while New Jersey's guidelines are re-evaluated.

"We have a law but we need to make sure it works," said Stender. 
"It's kind of like a tossed salad of things and we need to make sure 
we create a law that helps, not further hurt, these patients."

Parents of children who have been lucky enough to get the proper 
medicine spoke of the massive improvements to their child's medical 
condition. After using all prescribed forms of narcotic epileptic 
medication, parents like Jennie Stormes said her 14-year-old son, 
Jackson, has lived seizure free for 101 days, thanks to the medical cannabis.

"We are not for legalization of pot, that is not what we are saying," 
said Joana after he wiped tears away from his swollen eyes. "If we 
can legalize Percocet, which is made from an opium plant for pain 
relief, why can't we legalized the one medicine that really works and 
can help save kids' lives ... pot works."
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