Outgoing New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine Monday signed the medical marijuana bill approved earlier this month by the state legislature, making New Jersey the 14th state to legalize therapeutic cannabis use and the first one in the Mid-Atlantic region. Corzine was replaced Tuesday by incoming Republican Gov. Chris Christie.

[inline:trenton_victory.jpg align=left caption="New Jersey patients share victory hug after legislative vote (courtesy Coalition for Medical Marijuana-New Jersey)"]Under the bill, which should take effect within six months, only patients whose diseases or conditions are specifically listed -- cancer, glaucoma, multiple sclerosis, HIV/AIDS, seizure disorder, Lou Gehrig's disease, muscular dystrophy, inflammatory bowel disease, Crohn's disease, and terminal illness -- qualify to use medical marijuana. The state health department may include other illnesses at a later date.

The bill does not allow patients or caregivers to grow their own marijuana plants. Instead, medical marijuana will be distributed through a small number of state-licensed dispensaries or "alternate treatment centers." Patients or their designated caregivers could procure the medicine at the dispensary.

Ironically, as public support for medical marijuana reaches record levels, state medical marijuana laws are becoming increasingly restrictive. New Jersey's is the most restrictive yet. On the other hand, a week ago it had no medical marijuana law at all.