TRENTON (NJ.com) — Doctors who recommend their sickest patients use marijuana to alleviate their suffering must “make reasonable efforts” at least every three months to wean their patients off the drug, according to the latest rules Gov. Chris Christie’s administration has proposed to implement the controversial law next year.
The routine evaluations are necessary to ensure patients are not becoming addicts, and the drug is actually easing their discomfort, according to proposed medical marijuana program rules for doctors the state Attorney General’s Office made public today.
One of the law’s sponsors and a lobbyist for the medicinal marijuana program expressed surprise and disappointment with the proposal, calling it the latest assault on the law Christie inherited when he took office in January.
Assemblyman Reed Gusciora (D-Mercer) and Sen. Nicholas Scutari (D-Union) have sponsored a resolution awaiting a floor vote that would repeal the medical marijuana program rules as written by the Department of Health and Senior Services. They claim the rules — which include stricter limits on the drug’s potency and how many may outlets shall grow and sell it — would make it too restrictive to benefit those who really need it.
Scutari said he would consider moving to repeal these rules too. He said he expected doctors would be monitoring their patients’ marijuana use, but didn’t want them to discourage its use at every opportunity.
There are no such rules requiring doctors to wean their patients off of any other legal prescription drug. If a patient develops an addiction, the doctor certainly has the training to determine that and act professionally and accordingly. Patients should not be considered addicts until proven innocent, especially if you’re proposing that rule for cannabis but not Oxycontin.
Gov. Christie just does not want anyone to have medical marijuana, period. He inherited a last-minute passage of medical marijuana as Gov. Corzine was turning over the keys to the governor’s mansion. He’s got doctors registering for the royal approval to even consider recommending cannabis and now he’s going to dictate how they follow up on that recommendation. Cannabis will only be grown in two locations, limited to three strains of less-than 10% THC, and sold at four dispensaries in a state of 8.7 million people.
Contact your New Jersey state legislator and tell them to back Assem. Gusciora and Sen. Scutari as they work to create a medical marijuana program that actually works as they intended.
Loading ...
[...] Most recently, New Jersey Department of Health officials released draft regulations seeking to limit the manufacturing of medical cannabis to two licensed state facilities. The proposed rules also restrict the percentage of THC that may be present in the plant to no more than ten percent, and limit the varieties of cannabis that may be produced to no more than three strains. They further demand that doctors who authorize their patients to use marijuana must “make reasonable efforts” at least every three months to wean them off the drug. [...]
[...] their patients to use marijuana must “make reasonable efforts” at least every three months to wean them off the drug — a requirement that presently exists for no other controlled therapeutic [...]
[...] their patients to use marijuana must “make reasonable efforts” at least every three months to wean them off the drug — a requirement that presently exists for no other controlled therapeutic [...]
[...] Most recently, New Jersey Department of Health officials released draft regulations seeking to limit the manufacturing of medical cannabis to two licensed state facilities. The proposed rules also restrict the percentage of THC that may be present in the plant to no more than ten percent, and limit the varieties of cannabis that may be produced to no more than three strains. They further demand that doctors who authorize their patients to use marijuana must “make reasonable efforts” at least every three months to wean them off the drug. [...]
[...] Most recently, New Jersey Department of Health officials released draft regulations seeking to limit the manufacturing of medical cannabis to two licensed state facilities. The proposed rules also restrict the percentage of THC that may be present in the plant to no more than ten percent, and limit the varieties of cannabis that may be produced to no more than three strains. They further demand that doctors who authorize their patients to use marijuana must “make reasonable efforts” at least every three months to wean them off the drug. [...]
[...] their patients to use marijuana must “make reasonable efforts” at least every three months to wean them off the drug — a requirement that presently exists for no other controlled therapeutic [...]
[...] their patients to use marijuana must “make reasonable efforts” at least every three months to wean them off the drug — a requirement that presently exists for no other controlled therapeutic [...]
[...] their patients to use marijuana must “make reasonable efforts” at least every three months to wean them off the drug — a requirement that presently exists for no other controlled therapeutic [...]
[...] their patients to use marijuana must “make reasonable efforts” at least every three months to wean them off the drug — a requirement that presently exists for no other controlled therapeutic [...]
[...] their patients to use marijuana must “make reasonable efforts” at least every three months to wean them off the drug — a requirement that presently exists for no other controlled therapeutic [...]
The Governor is not a medical doctor and does not have the training to determine if marijuana use for medicinal purposes is beneficial. I have suffered from spinal cord injury and subsiquent clinical depression. I used many FDA approved drugs that were opioid derived and became addicted and was unable to have normal bowel functions. I used marijuana in combination with a non opioid based medication and have experienced great relief of pain, improved appetite, relief of depressive symptoms and an all around improved quality of life. This is a shame that I must sneek around and worry about breaking laws and being incarcerated for buying and using a herbal medicine to relieve debilitating condition. I now work for the #10 medical school in the world as a radiological specialist and I only use marijuana when I get off work as to be cognativly attentive and sharp as I would with any other mood altering medication. The US must stop this punitive practise against people who use a medication that is effective. Focus should be set towards pill mills where Vicodin,lorcet,Xanex and Soma are dispenced to anyone willing to pay cash for a Doctors visit, when they are resold back on the street for 3-4 hundred percent to awaiting opioid addicts. Medical Marijuana is rarely resold as there is not profit to be made!
[...] Most recently, New Jersey Department of Health officials released draft regulations seeking to limit the manufacturing of medical cannabis to two licensed state facilities. The proposed rules also restrict the percentage of THC that may be present in the plant to no more than ten percent, and limit the varieties of cannabis that may be produced to no more than three strains. They further demand that doctors who authorize their patients to use marijuana must “make reasonable efforts” at least every three months to wean them off the drug. [...]
Its absolutely PROPSTEROUS that they are even considering some of the outright garbage that they are trying to push through.
1. Attempting to get the doctors to persuade their patients to wean off the drug …FOR WHAT WHAT RATIONAL ?? Just to appease the sense of self righteousness he wants to exude. These people are so fulll of themselves its disgusting
Continued research is leaning towards quite the opposite. With the exception of reducing usage to adjust tolerance levels which Im sure is not the intended purpose,and that should be up to the patients Dr and certainly not under duress .
I mean the research says the exact opposite of what they want MJ to be viewed as. Its a natural, non toxic, herb that functions as regulator in cell functions and other auto immune functions within in our body. It just so happens that it produces euphoric effects when ingested
(ie immidiately when smoked),but is surprisingly not physically addictive.
Never mind the ultimate damaging affects of the medications that are from prescription use to solve some of the issues that MJ does naturally.
People need to start pulling the research out and start TELLING THE TRUTH.
[...] Most recently, New Jersey Department of Health officials released draft regulations seeking to limit the manufacturing of medical cannabis to two licensed state facilities. The proposed rules also restrict the percentage of THC that may be present in the plant to no more than ten percent, and limit the varieties of cannabis that may be produced to no more than three strains. They further demand that doctors who authorize their patients to use marijuana must “make reasonable efforts” at least every three months to wean them off the drug. [...]
Russ, I live in NJ. Governor Christie does a monthly radio show on the station NJ 101.5, where he takes questions from the general public. The radio station is right wing, and is screened, but it may be a good chance for someone knowledgeable on the subject to attempt to ask him some tough questions.
Ask the Governor site: http://millenniumradionj.com/AskTheGovernor/
NJ 101.5 site: http://www.nj1015.com
No, I think I got it right. You are an addict until you can prove yourself innocent of being an addict.
But I see how you read it: You should not be considered an addict until proven guilty of being an addict.
Maybe if I wrote it as…
Patients should not be considered “addicts until proven innocent”, especially if you’re proposing that rule for cannabis but not Oxycontin.
…it wouldn’t have been so ambiguous.
“Patients should not be considered addicts until proven innocent, especially if you’re proposing that rule for cannabis but not Oxycontin.”
I may be wrong, but shouldn’t that be “Patients should not be considered addicts until proven GUILTY” ?