Rutgers New Jersey Medical School first year student Daniel Oh asked Elnahal if there was any monitoring to make sure mistakes aren’t repeated.
“The side effect profile, in particular the risk for dependence, addiction, overdose, death — all of those are much lower and nonexistent for marijuana versus opioids. The other thing is we’re not necessarily recommending it as a first-line therapy, we’re just allowing you now to recommend it as a first-line therapy. It’s still a clinical judgement,” Elnahal replied.
Much of the hesitation stems from the opioid crisis engulfing the nation and New Jersey. Even still, the state is preparing to open six new dispensaries to keep up with demand. The Health Department says roughly 100 new patients a day are enrolling since expanding the list of qualifying health conditions.
Despite the state accelerating the program, the fact is less than 3 percent, or just 800 out of the 28,000 licensed physicians in the state, are registered to participate. Getting them on board will be critical for a successful program.