Pubdate: Tue, 17 Jun 2014
Source: Daily Record, The (Parsippany, NJ)
Copyright: 2014 The Daily Record
Contact:  http://www.dailyrecord.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/112
Author: Eric Hafner

HONOR OUT-OF-STATE MEDICAL MARIJUANA CARDS

With the recent resignation of the CEO of Compassionate Care 
Foundation Inc., operator of Egg Harbor Township medical marijuana 
dispensary, it is clear that New Jersey's faux dispensary system is 
on the verge of crumbling altogether.

Gov. Chris Christie has presented the false and deceptive image of an 
operational medical marijuana program to the citizens of New Jersey. 
In reality, Christie has betrayed his most vulnerable constituents by 
covertly plotting with the pharmaceutical, prison, drug testing and 
drug rehab industries to prevent the program from ever getting off the ground.

Medical marijuana is not legally available to most of the seriously 
ill patients in New Jersey who could benefit from it most because of 
the overly restrictive program regulations created by the Christie 
administration.

Under the malicious direction of Christie, the New Jersey Attorney 
General's Office has purposefully misinformed prosecutors and police 
across the state as to the validity of out-of-state medical marijuana 
cards in New Jersey.

While the Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Act describes New 
Jersey as joining the effort of legalizing medical marijuana with 
other states, and the Full Faith and Credit clause of the U.S. 
Constitution requires New Jersey to recognize the documents of other 
states as valid, the Christie dictatorship has pursued a policy of 
violating the constitutional rights and human rights of traveling 
patients by criminally prosecuting them and refusing to recognize the 
validity of their medical marijuana cards issued by other U.S. 
states. This is disgraceful when the stated purpose of the act is to 
protect patients from being arrested.

Until this injustice is resolved by the Legislature and through case 
law, local governments should pass municipal ordinances explicitly 
recognizing the validity of out-of-state medical marijuana cards and 
direct their police departments not to arrest or seize medicine from 
out-of-state patients.

Eric Hafner

Toms River
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