Assemblyman Danielsen Ready to Make the Case for His Medical Marijuana Bill
Assemblyman Joe Danielsen (D-17)’s medical marijuana bill (A-10) (draft attached) prioritizes the following, according to the assemblyman from Franklin Twp.:
Assemblyman Joe Danielsen (D-17)’s medical marijuana bill (A-10) (draft attached) prioritizes the following, according to the assemblyman from Franklin Twp.:
New Jersey is seeking to double its number of medical marijuana dispensaries, Gov. Phil Murphy said Monday.
Murphy said in a statement that the state is requesting applications for six new dispensaries, up from the six that now operate in the state.
The program has grown under the Democratic governor, who has vowed to expand it. Officials say 10,000 new patients have become eligible under the program since January, bringing the total to 25,000.
The Murphy Administration today announced it is seeking up to six new applicants to operate medicinal marijuana dispensaries — two each in the northern, central and southern regions of New Jersey.
New Jersey is considering an expansion of the state’s medical marijuana program to include opioid addiction as a qualifying condition, but some experts have voiced concern.
More than 22,000 people in New Jersey died of drug overdoses in 2016. While the cure for opioid addiction remains a mystery, NJ Department of Health Commissioner Shereef Elnahal says he’s exploring the idea of making medical marijuana a potential treatment for the state and nationwide scourge.
The Department of Health has issued a Request for Applications (RFA) for up to six additional Alternative Treatment Centers (ATCs) in the state. Given the unprecedented expansion of the program, the Department anticipates the issuance of additional RFAs in the future.
Tucked inside a nondescript commercial warehouse here sits a sophisticated marijuana-growing operation. A custom filtration system feeds a proprietary cocktail of nutrients into a hydroponic, two-level farming system. Two pallets of crops are harvested every day, and the 15,000 square feet will eventually yield two tons of marijuana per year.
And it’s all legal.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat, called for a doubling of the state’s medical cannabis producers today, from six to 12, according to an NJ.com report. New Jersey’s medical cannabis program developed supply issues earlier this year after a previous expansion added several qualifying conditions. The governor made the call after the New Jersey State Legislature failed in June to pass a bill expanding the program.
Feeling the state’s six not-for-profit medical marijuana dispensaries will not be able to handle the needs of the program as it grows, the Department of Health and Gov. Phil Murphy’s administration announced a request for six more dispensaries in a statement Monday.
“We look forward to the opening of six new dispensaries, so we can ensure that all qualifying patients who want access to medicinal marijuana can have it,’’ Murphy said in the statement.
The state health commissioner is looking at the idea of expanding the state's medical marijuana program to include opioid addiction as a qualifying condition.
New Jersey Department of Health Commissioner Shereef Elnahal made the reveal during a lecture he gave to doctors July 11 at the St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center in Paterson.
“Part of our fight against the opioid crisis involves educating doctors in alternatives to opioid therapy,” Elnahal tweeted. “Medical marijuana is a great alternative.”
In a move announced this afternoon, New York State Health Commissioner Howard Zucker filed emergency regulations adding any condition for which an opioid could be prescribed as a qualifying condition for medical marijuana.
The new rule opens up medical cannabis as an option for thousands of patients dealing with pain, who might otherwise need to take opioid medications. Plans for the new rule were announced last month, but today’s news means the condition qualifies for medical marijuana immediately.
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