New Jersey Is Being Sued For Dragging Feet On Medical Marijuana Program
Reports out of New Jersey are stating that a patient is suing New Jersey officials over delays in starting the New Jersey Medical Marijuana Program. According to NBC, “Richard Caporusso says in a lawsuit that Gov. Chris Christie’s administration has been implementing rules for medical marijuana that are “designed with the intent” to interfere with the program.” I have been pointing that out since Christie took office. If New Jersey patients had the right to grow their own, they wouldn’t be experiencing this problem.
Caporusso’s doctor, Jeffrey S. Pollack, is a plaintiff as well in the lawsuit on behalf of other future medical marijuana patients. New Jersey has the harshest rules out of any medical marijuana program in the country, so why the delay? If patients have to wait for an area that will allow growing, some of them might be waiting forever. Caporusso is represented by attorneys William Buckman and Anne M. Davis. In the lawsuit Mr. Caporusso claims that he is suffering from liver failure due to the use of prescription drugs.
The NBC article went on to say, “the state would also soon make public its registry of 109 physicians who say they would be willing to recommend medical marijuana to patients who could benefit from it – and to allow patients to begin registering, too.” That’s great that they will be able to get patients signed up, but it’s no good if there is no legal, safe access to medical cannabis for them once they are approved. It’s like the state is forcing patients to break the law in order to participate in a state approved program.
Governor Chris Christie will do everything he can to slow the implementation process. He took a play out of the Washington DC program which has been waiting for a long, long time to roll out it’s medical marijuana program. When doctor’s are announced, and garden sites are approved, and dispensaries have everything lined up to open, Chris Christie will pull the ‘it is still illegal under federal law’ card. He will try to claim that state employees will be liable to prosecution, and just about every other non-compassionate thing he can think of. I hope New Jersey votes this bum out next time he’s up for re-election, and instead vote for someone that has a heart for suffering people.
