cannabisnews.com: New Jersey To Consider Legalizing Med Marijuana





New Jersey To Consider Legalizing Med Marijuana
Posted by CN Staff on December 15, 2008 at 05:50:26 PT
By Ben Leach, Staff Writer
Source: Press of Atlantic City
New Jersey -- A state Senate committee will discuss legislation today that would make New Jersey the 14th state to legalize marijuana for medical purposes. If Senate Bill 119 eventually is signed into law, patients with debilitating illnesses, including cancer, AIDS, glaucoma and multiple sclerosis, would have access to marijuana to relieve their pain if prescribed by a doctor.The bill is sponsored by state Sens. Nicholas P. Scutari, D-Union, Somerset, Middlesex, and Jim Whelan, D-Atlantic.
The legalization of marijuana - considered the single most abused illicit drug in the United States by the National Institute on Drug Abuse - for medicinal purposes already has happened in 13 other states, most recently Michigan.Jim Miller, president of the Coalition for Medical Marijuana New Jersey, has fought tirelessly for marijuana legalization. His wife, Cheryl, lived with multiple sclerosis, a potentially debilitating disease that blocks the brain from communicating with other parts of the body, for 32 years before dying in 2003 at age 57. "I got to see on a regular basis what life was like when she didn't take (medical marijuana)," Miller said. "And I saw the brief periods of relief when she did."Marijuana, or cannabis, has been used in medicine since the 19th century. A study by the National Institute of Medicine in 1999 concluded that "the accumulated data indicate a potential therapeutic value for cannabinoid drugs, particularly for symptoms such as pain relief, control of nausea and vomiting, and appetite stimulation."But the Food and Drug Administration believes otherwise. Cannabis is classified as a Schedule I drug under the Controlled Substances Act, the most restrictive class of drug. The FDA does not approve of the use of marijuana for medical purposes.Miller said he constantly gets calls from people in the kind of pain his late wife experienced, and he tries to provide the drug for them whenever he can."I risk arrest to help people whenever I can," Miller said. "It's a sad state of affairs when I can take care of these people and hospice can't."The concern for many is that even with many restrictions to access, others could get a hold of marijuana and use it - and abuse it - for recreational purposes. It's a behavior already observed in the abuse of alcohol and certain prescription drugs such as Oxycontin, both of which are legalized.Despite the potential for harm, anti-drug groups are hoping decisions will be made following sound medical advice."We believe that this is a medical issue and that it should be handled by medical professionals," said Angelo Valente, the executive director of Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey.The hearing takes place in Committee Room 11 on the fourth floor of the Statehouse Annex.Complete Title: New Jersey Senate Committee To Consider Legalizing Medical MarijuanaSource: Press of Atlantic City, The (NJ)Author: Ben Leach, Staff WriterPublished: Monday, December 15, 2008Copyright: 2008 South Jersey Publishing Co.Contact: letters pressofac.comURL: http://drugsense.org/url/WJFCAM1TWebsite: http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/Related Article & Web Site:Coalition for Medical Marijuanahttp://www.cmmnj.org/ Medical Marijuana Pondered in Jerseyhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread24368.shtml
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Comment #6 posted by FoM on December 15, 2008 at 09:14:48 PT
AP: Panel To Hear About Marijuana for Medical Use
Monday, December 15, 2008New Jersey could become the 14th state to allow patients to use marijuana for medical reasons.The Senate Health Committee will hear testimony on a bill today and a vote advancing the measure is expected.A hearing two years ago brought celebrity Montel Williams to the New Jersey Statehouse. A longtime multiple sclerosis sufferer, Williams said he uses marijuana regularly.Some New Jersey lawmakers have expressed concerns about how New Jerseyans would access the illegal substance if they were allowed to use it medicinally.The bill sponsor, Union County Democrat Sen. Nicholas Scutari, may propose opening so-called compassion centers, where patients can buy the drug rather than grow their own.Copyright: 2008 Associated Presshttp://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2008/12/panel_to_hear_about_marijuana.html
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Comment #5 posted by runruff on December 15, 2008 at 08:32:27 PT
14th state eh?
At this rate every state in the union will have legalized medical cannabis while Uncle Sam just stands there with his arms crossed and his bottom lip stuck out."get out of the doorways don't block up the halls....""He who is winning is soon to be last......"
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Comment #4 posted by Sam Adams on December 15, 2008 at 08:12:24 PT
ice
FOM - thanks, everyone here is OK but the lights are still off for many people. Fortunately the ice storm was followed by warm weather, which is great if your furnace is still off! 
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Comment #3 posted by FoM on December 15, 2008 at 08:00:57 PT
Sam
I thought of you with the ice storm. I'm glad to see you are ok. As far as Prozac goes I think it is a terrible drug. I took it years ago for about 6 months and quit. It really made me feel weird.
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Comment #2 posted by Sam Adams on December 15, 2008 at 07:49:34 PT
Prozac bad news
Sexual "numbness." Lack of libido. Arousal that stalls.
Such sexual symptoms have long been known side effects of the popular Prozac class of antidepressants, but a growing body of research suggests that they are far more common than previously thought, perhaps affecting half or more of patients.And a handful of recent medical and psychological journal articles document a small number of cases in which sexual problems remain even after a patient goes off the drugs.http://www.boston.com/news/health/articles/2008/12/15/antidepressants_may_damage_more_sex_lives/Very sad news for those who take SSRI's!! As Vioxx and Celebrex damaged the cardio-vascular system, apparently SSRI's are inflicting permanent damage to the nervous system.Millions of people under 18 are taking these drugs 365 days per year. Apparently many will never be able to have a normal sex life.Interesting too - the drug that the controlling elite want to substitute for cannabis just turns out to also control sexuality, something the religious/political elite have been trying to do for millenia.This fits perfectly with my theory of societal control - the ruling elite don't want mankind to attain pleasure and fulfillment through sex, natural plant intoxicants, or family life. None of these things help the ruling elite to exploit and steal a share of people's overall productivity.When a person lusts only after material fulfillment, they must get money, and the ruling elite control the money supply. You must go and work for the ruling elite to get any money and therefore material satisfaction. And of course the elite will take 80% of your gross productivity for themselves.In the end, the doctor will give you Prozac to be happy and content while slaving away for the elite. Then, when it's time to make more workers, the doctor will give you Viagra so you can reproduce.
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Comment #1 posted by FoM on December 15, 2008 at 07:31:35 PT
Keeping My Fingers Crossed
Good luck today!
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