« Medical marijuana wins approval from New Jersey Senate committee | Main | Patients Out of Time Press Release on new civil complaint against feds on medical cannabis »
December 17, 2008
New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine says he would sign medical marijuana legislation
Posted by Gary Storck
Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2008
Will New Jersey become the 14th medical cannabis state? The state's governor, Jon Corzine, has reiterated that he would sign a bill if it gets to his desk. Corzine originally had promised to sign a bill when first running for office when he and GOP candidate, Doug Forrester, both on a live call-in radio show, were asked by caller Jim Miller. Forrester went first and stated he would sign, and Corzine then answered yes too.
Corzine says he would sign medical marijuana legislationSource: The Press of Atlantic City Media click here
By DEREK HARPER Statehouse Bureau
Published: Wednesday, December 17, 2008TRENTON - Gov. Jon S. Corzine said Tuesday that he supports and would sign a bill allowing medicinal marijuana use, but added that economic issues are his top priority.
"I don't think that we ought to be having fights on issues that don't go to the heart of the needs of a broad majority of folks," Corzine told reporters Tuesday afternoon. "I think that this is one that if it can be moved expeditiously because there's a consensus, I think that's great. I have studied the issue and I think that if properly structured, it's an initiative that's sensible."
The Compassionate Use Medicinal Marijuana Act would allow state-licensed patients to possess as much as 1 ounce of marijuana and six plants for medical treatment. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Jim Whelan, D-Atlantic, and Nicholas Scutari, D-Middlesex, Somerset, Union, also would create Medicinal Marijuana Alternate Treatment Centers.
The possession and distribution of marijuana would remain illegal under federal law, but advocates said it would essentially decriminalize that, because most prosecutions are under state laws.
The state Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee approved the bill by a 6-1 vote Monday. It now faces a full Senate vote. While it has been discussed in General Assembly committees, a vote has not been scheduled. Thirteen other states have similar laws.
Posted by Gary at December 17, 2008 10:08 AM
Comments
Post a comment
Thanks for signing in, . Now you can comment. (sign out)
(If you haven't left a comment here before, you may need to be approved by the site owner before your comment will appear. Until then, it won't appear on the entry. Thanks for waiting.)