Last week, the Department of Justice announced that it would not prioritize marijuana enforcement against businesses that were following state law and adhering to a set of criteria established by Deputy Attorney General James Cole. Given the administration's history with marijuana policy, there is a lot of speculation about what this memo will mean for the future of reform efforts and the legal marijuana industries in Colorado and Washington, as well as the 20 states and the District of Columbia…

New Jersey’s medical marijuana law has shown itself to be overly restrictive and flawed in many ways, but fortunately, the legislature has approved a bill that would make a few significant improvements. S2842/A4241 was drafted on behalf of two-year-old patient Vivian Wilson, who suffers from a severe form of epilepsy called Dravet Syndrome but has not been able to benefit from the state's the program. The bill, which has been supported by our allies at the Drug Policy Alliance, would make three significant…

A recent poll found that a majority of New Jersey voters believe people who are caught with small amounts of marijuana should pay a fine, but not go to prison. Commissioned by the Drug Policy Alliance, the poll of 604 registered voters determined that 61 percent support the elimination of criminal penalties for minor possession (under two ounces). The poll also found that 82 percent of voters either favor, or are neutral to, politicians who advocate for reducing criminal penalties for possession. Rosanne…

On Thursday, the New Jersey Senate Judiciary Committee approved a bill that would make it easier for minors suffering from debilitating illnesses to procure medical marijuana. The bill eliminates the requirement of written confirmation from a pediatrician and a psychiatrist in order for juveniles to get medical marijuana. It also calls for medical marijuana to be produced in edible form and allows more strains to be made available. [caption id="attachment_6559" align="alignright" width="119"] Compassionate…

New Jersey may open more medical marijuana dispensaries, according to the state’s health commissioner. In early April, Gov. Chris Christie proposed allocating $1.6 million to fund New Jersey’s three-year-old medical marijuana program, doubling the initial spending plan. Commissioner Mary O’Dowd told the state Senate Budget Committee that the extra money would be used to build and maintain treatment centers, as well as cover costs for inspections, testing protocols, and monitoring stores. New Jersey…

After a long delay in New Jersey, many medical marijuana patients are still waiting for their medicine. Then-Gov. John Corzine first signed the New Jersey Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Act in January 2010, but since then, implementation of the measure has been slow. Although the state originally planned to have the necessary alternative treatment centers open in July 2011, the state’s first licensee, Greenleaf Compassion Center, is not scheduled to open until September of this year. A total…

Today, after a delay of more than two years, patients eligible for New Jersey’s medical marijuana program were finally allowed to apply for the licenses that would protect them from arrest. Seriously ill individuals who could qualify for the program have been waiting diligently while the state government dragged its feet with implementation since the law took effect in mid-2010. Unfortunately, it could be some time before licensed patients will be able to legally acquire their medicine. New Jersey’s…

Earlier this week, I wrote about the trend in journalism to blame marijuana for the violent outbursts of murderous youth. While this unscientific blame game will probably continue in the foreseeable future, it’s nice to see that the primary target of my wrath in this instance, The New York Times, has redeemed itself. On Wednesday, the juggernaut of journalism on the East Coast wrote an editorial urging New York’s Governor Cuomo to follow the lead of New Jersey and allow seriously ill New Yorkers…

Yesterday, Gov. Christie announced that the wait is over for patients, and the medical marijuana program that has been on hold for months will finally move forward. He will instruct the New Jersey Department of Health and Social Services to begin implementation "as expeditiously as possible." This includes establishing the six alternative care centers that were approved last year. Christie had left the program in limbo while he determined how to allow dispensaries and not attract attention from the…

The New Jersey Senate passed a resolution yesterday that will give state health officials 30 days to come up with revised regulations for the state’s medical marijuana law – essentially rejecting a proposal Gov. Chris Christie (R) had put forward that was deemed too restrictive by patient advocates. After the vote, state Sen. Nicholas Scutari called upon the Christie administration to work toward "a real compromise so people who want to be in the business, and sick people who desperately need this…