Monday, June 21, 2010

NJ READY TO LIGHT UP? NOT SO FAST!

Since the foundation of this great nation, lawmakers have been debating the topic of Marijuana. Thomas Jefferson stated, "Hemp is of first necessity to the wealth & protection of the country.” George Washington even indorsed it by stating, "Make the most you can of the Indian Hemp seed and sow it everywhere.” Yet President Richard Nixon highly opposed marijuana saying, “I am against legalizing marijuana. I know all the arguments about [how] marijuana is no worse than whiskey. But the point is, once you cross that line, from the straight society to the drug society -- marijuana, then speed, then it's LSD, then it's heroin, etc. then you're done.” Regardless of the disputes of legalization, New Jersey did decide that marijuana for medical use would be officially permitted. Yet, patients shouldn’t be too prepared to “puff , puff, pass” quite yet because The New Jersey Legislature announced that they are delaying the start of the state’s new medical marijuana law until January 1st.

The bill, which would initially delay the access to marijuana for patients, would give the state Health Department more time to set up the system. The new system would allow AIDS, cancer and MS patients to legally access the drug.

Providing legal access to the substance requires much more work than one would presume. For example, the government now has to set up a growing and distribution process. New Jersey Governor, Chris Christie proposed a growing and distribution program with Rutgers University and state hospitals this past Friday.

Although the legislation introduced in the Senate and Assembly calls for a three-month delay in the law, the patients will eventually have access to marijuana unless something unforeseen happens.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Having watched my mother endure rounds and rounds of chemotherapy for breast cancer, I whole heartedly support marijuana's legal use.
Mom lost so much weight from not being able to eat. Weight she really couldn't afford to lose. It only made her more weak. The anti-nasuea medications did not work for her.
We tried to talk her into using it "illegally" so she could keep some food down, but she was too afraid of getting caught. In her weakend state we were lucky we didn't lose her! I hope and pray it gets passed so others aren't put in that situation. It's hard enough to watch a family member with cancer, you spend your days worrying that the cancer might take them, you shouldn't have to worry about them dying because they couldn't keep food down and the government won't let you use the only other thing that would work! Get it passed so patients can get the help they need and their families may just have one less thing to worry about.

Kristy

Anonymous said...

If I'm not mistaken president Nixon was also responsible for the watergate scandal, one of the biggest lies in the whitehouse. Also if I'm not mistaken it was him who started the rediculous war on drugs that created the black market and his wife that started "Just say No". We all can see how well that has worked out.

Anonymous said...

Oops turns out I was mistaken. Reagans wife started just say no.