cannabisnews.com: Compromise on Medical Marijuana
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Compromise on Medical Marijuana
Posted by CN Staff on December 03, 2010 at 05:43:45 PT
Editorial
Source: Courier-Post
New Jersey -- Keep rules tight to minimize abuses, but make sure patients will actually use the program. Upon further thought, Gov. Chris Christie said Monday he won't allow for any easing of the proposed restrictions the state Department of Health and Senior Services has proposed for implementing New Jersey's medical marijuana law approved almost a year ago.As we said before in urging the governor and his health commissioner to reconsider some aspects of the proposed rules, we understand why it's important to err on the side of caution with medical marijuana.
Of the 13 states that have legalized marijuana for medical use by people suffering from cancer, AIDS, glaucoma and a few other ailments, two in particular -- California and Colorado -- have seen things get way out of hand.The number of people abusing the "medical use" allowance and simply getting a prescription to smoke just for recreational use in those states has exploded, as have the number of "dispensaries" (stores, really). Also, the number of people growing marijuana illegally has exploded.Our governor doesn't want that to happen in New Jersey and he is right to protect against it happening. New Jersey legislators didn't vote to decriminalize marijuana last year when they passed the Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Act. They voted simply to let those people legitimately suffering from chronic, severe pain or nausea or vision problems to have a legal means to use a drug many of them are already using to relieve those symptoms.But by having so few distribution centers around the state -- just four to cover 21 counties; by cutting out certain diseases/ailments from qualifying for a prescription and by foolishly capping the percentage of the psychoactive chemical tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) allowed in medical marijuana distributed in New Jersey at 10 percent even though the legal, available prescription drug Marinol is 99 percent THC, the administration is torpedoing the law. These rules and a few others, if put in place as they're written now, will more than likely lead to most patients in this state who need marijuana to treat their illnesses continuing to buy the drug illegally.They'll continue to fuel the illegal drug trade and continue to risk going to jail because the legal option the state offers is inconvenient and less effective than the illegal option.That's foolish.We would hope it won't have to come to a legislative battle this month that would pit Democrats in the Senate and Assembly against the Republican governor.What we hope is that the governor listens to the legitimate concerns about the proposed rules raised by the people who depend on marijuana to ease their suffering and overcome their chronic pain.We believe that program rules and a distribution system can be created that ensure both minimal abuse of New Jersey's medical marijuana program by recreational users and convenient access to prescribed doses of the drug for patients who certainly don't want to be lawbreakers; they just want to get through each day free of pain.Source: Courier-Post (Cherry Hill, NJ)Published: December 3, 2010Copyright: 2010 Courier-PostURL: http://drugsense.org/url/gdD8lH2hWebsite: http://www.courierpostonline.com/Contact: http://drugsense.org/url/SuuG7xhYCannabisNews Medical Marijuana Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/medical.shtml
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Comment #5 posted by Dagman11 on December 03, 2010 at 11:06:03 PT
Question about comment #2
If the Dutch make their coffee shops members only, won't they lose a lot of money?
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Comment #4 posted by dongenero on December 03, 2010 at 10:19:06 PT
comment 2 on Dutch coffee shops
So, what do the coffee shops have to do with organized drug crime and how will having less coffee shops help? Sure, the coffee shops may be on the fringe of the black market, but that is because the market is not really normalized from start to end. Instead, only retail is tolerated and production and sourcing are treated with a blind eye.Taking away coffee shops just means more control for the organized criminals.Do they have problems with organized crime related to the alcohol industry? No, it's normalized from production to delivery.The problem is not the substance or the coffee shops, it's the legislative policies.....both local, regional and global.Figure it out.
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Comment #3 posted by FoM on December 03, 2010 at 09:27:42 PT
Gov. Christie Softens Stance on Production
Gov. Christie Softens Stance on Production, Distribution of Medical MarijuanaDecember 3, 2010URL: http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/12/gov_christie_softens_stance_on.html
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Comment #2 posted by FoM on December 03, 2010 at 09:22:34 PT
Dutch Cities to Start Crackdown on Marijuana Cafes
December 3, 2010AMSTERDAM (AP) -- The Netherlands' justice minister and five southern Dutch cities say they will implement new restrictions on marijuana cafes after a wave of drug-related gangland violence.They said Friday the measures include shutting down many cafes, using tax and accounting laws to seize criminal assets, and introducing a "members only" pass system for remaining cafes.The government has previously floated the idea of a nationwide pass system that would make it difficult for tourists to buy marijuana, despite the country's famed tolerance policy, which allows sale and possession of small amounts of weed.Last week, a home in Eindhoven was hit with machine gun fire and the mayor of Helmond went into hiding because of death threats. Police say both matters are drug-related.Copyright: 2010 The Associated Press
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Comment #1 posted by museman on December 03, 2010 at 07:37:39 PT
Liberty
Liberty, oh liberty,What is the going price?The game is just a crap shoot,and the house has loaded dice.Can't buy freedom with a credit card,though there's sellers enough out there.And even the worth of a dollar bill,won't pay for liberty's fare.Praise the individual,whose house is on the hill,who drives the latest Hummer,and whose children always get their fill.Everyday they worship schism,at the temple of capitalism,and the high priests who run the nation,preach compromise and capitulation.We cast our prayers -called votes-into the digital ethers,cross our fingers and have unreasonable hopes,that liberty will appear.Myths and lies and Santa fliesright next to the easter bunny,to give the children sweet sweet poisonin preparation for their livesas the duped.But don't you stand,do not resist your fate.If you signed your name to anything,it's already far too late.And they got you back when you were youngand in your public schools,where they teach us how to slave,and be a socially honored fool.Petition for the privilege,or you can buy it with a bribeyou just need the money,and belong to the wealthy tribe.Just plain disgusting,a pack of filthy liars and thieves,who rule by our ignorant consent,and we kneel before them everydayto account for what we spent.Theres no way to fix the mess,no time left to try.Just one thing to make liberty come;LEGALIZE FREEDOM!
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