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New Jersey Medical Marijuana Regulation Reform Bill Stalled

The New Jersey General Assembly Monday voted 48-22 to require the administration of Gov. Chris Christie (R) to make major revisions to its proposed regulations around medical marijuana, but backers of the changes were unable to come up with enough votes to pass them in the Senate. Under the resolution, the administration would have to make changes to its rules or they would be invalidated.

patients share victory hug after passage of legislation, January 2010
The Christie administration has infuriated medical marijuana supporters by first delaying the implementation of the program and then proposing strict regulations on the program. Among other things, the rules propose licensing just two medical marijuana growers and four distribution centers, as well as capping the potency of medical marijuana -- something no other state has attempted.

Sen. Nick Scutari (D-Union City) told the Newark Star-Ledger Christie was was "overstepping his bounds" by "refusing to implement a program" that is now the law in New Jersey. He said he pulled the Senate resolution from the agenda after learning that one Democratic senator was absent and another would vote against it.

"It's very frustrating," said Scutari about the decision by Sen. Brian Stack (D-Hudson) to vote against the resolution. Stack had voted for the medical marijuana bill, Scutari noted, before suggesting that Stack, who is the mayor of a cash-strapped town, did not want to cross the governor.

Scutari will bring the resolution back before the Senate for a vote on December 13, he said.

Trenton, NJ
United States
Permission to Reprint: This article is licensed under a modified Creative Commons Attribution license.
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i feel for you nj, were going

i feel for you nj, were going through some major bullshit in michigan with the local police not following are medical marijuana laws and down by detroit dispensaries have been  raided.  instead of the police backing off of medical marijuana patients they are coming down on them it seems to "test" the law and the resolve of the people.  now that states have their own programs, i think that the united states as a whole band together and push for a nationwide medicinal marijuana act or total decriminalization of it all together.  so start talking to friends and relatives in states around yours.  be active and take a stand before we all take the fall.

christie's ignorance can't be weighed with a (marijuana) scale

is there anyone out there who truly believes that our high (not) and exalted (he believes) governor has the best interests of the sick and disabled in mind when he tries to play doctor or medical marijuana expert?  one look at this man and the word 'hypocrite' easily comes to mind.  through playing politics and using the sick and disabled as pawns in his self-entertaining game of chess he has made a mockery of the new jersey legislative process and is breaking the law through his prevention of approved and signed legislation from becoming enacted.  his actions are worse than street dope dealers because they affect so many citizens, those who have great difficulty living 'normal' lives let alone being able to muster sufficient energy to take a stand and fight for their (our) rights.  governor christie is the worst kind of person, one who uses those who have difficulty fighting back for their rights.  'compassion' is a word lacking in his vocabulary as he seeks to popularize himself on a national scale while stepping on the sick to elevate himself.  perhaps if he had undergone the 330 medical services (doctor visits, physical therapies, tests, surgeries and hospitalizations) he would have a small measure of understanding for what someone less fortunate than himself has to deal with every waking day.  this man is ignorant enough to deny relief to myself and many others like me.  someone having no sense of compassion or empathy for the pain of another is surely devoid of a conscience if he/she has the ability to sleep at night.  pleasant dreams, governor!  

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