MEDICINAL MARIJUANA By Chris Ciely

In 2010 the Congressional Research Service stated: “Two bills that have been introduced in recent Congresses are expected to be reintroduced in the 110th Congress: The States' Rights to Medical Marijuana Act would move marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule II of the Controlled Substances Act and make it available under federal law for medical use in the states with medical marijuana programs, and the Steve McWilliams Truth in Trials Act would make it possible for defendants in federal court to reveal to juries that their marijuana activity was medically related and legal under state law. Twelve states, mostly in the West, have enacted laws allowing the use of marijuana for medical purposes, and many thousands of patients are seeking relief from a variety of serious illnesses by smoking marijuana or using other herbal cannabis preparations. Meanwhile, the federal Drug Enforcement Administration refuses to recognize these state laws and continues to investigate and arrest, under federal statute, medical marijuana providers and users in those states and elsewhere”

The NJ Bill S119 S119 Will legalize medicinal cannabis for those who apply Will legalize medicinal cannabis for those who apply Sets up dispensaries in NJ to distribute the new drug Sets up dispensaries in NJ to distribute the new drug

Diseases Allowed Cancer, glaucoma, multiple sclerosis, HIV/AIDS, seizure disorder, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, severe muscle spasms, muscular dystrophy, inflammatory bowel disease, Crohn’s disease, and any terminal illness if a doctor has determined the patient will die within a year. Cancer, glaucoma, multiple sclerosis, HIV/AIDS, seizure disorder, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, severe muscle spasms, muscular dystrophy, inflammatory bowel disease, Crohn’s disease, and any terminal illness if a doctor has determined the patient will die within a year.

Doctor Oppositions “Causality is a difficult assessment in forensic toxicology. It is often an 'exclusion diagnosis,' and so it is in our cases. I'm therefore not sure about how to classify those deaths. At the time I published that study I would probably not classify [the cannabis] as primary causation because it was not broadly accepted that [a death from cannabis] could occur at all. Today I see reports coming all the time that acknowledge cannabis cardiovascular risks, and the situation may be different.” - Liliana Bachs, MD (Senior Medical Officer at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health )

Doctor Oppositions (Cont.) “No acute lethal overdoses of cannabis are known, in contrast to several of its illegal (for example, cocaine) and legal (for example, alcohol, aspirin, acetaminophen) counterparts. Although the use of cannabis is not harmless, the current knowledge base does not support the assertion that it has any notable adverse public health impact in relation to mortality.” - Stephen Sidney, MD (Associate Director for Clinical Research at Kaiser Permanente)

Ashley Background Background 23 year old college student 23 year old college student Diagnosed with multiple sclerosis Diagnosed with multiple sclerosis Self medicating with marijuana for 4 years Self medicating with marijuana for 4 years Has been prescribed a little over 20 different medications Has been prescribed a little over 20 different medications Recently applied to acquire the newly legal drug Recently applied to acquire the newly legal drug “I woke up one day and the entire left side of my body was numb.” -Ashley

Ashley (Cont.) “Contrary to belief locations on where to get it are still unclear.” get it are still unclear.” -Ashley -Ashley “Another rumor is that with Christie now in office he could change the bill [from chronic to terminal illness] eliminating my disease from the list.” -Ashley

Public Opposition “We can’t look at the benefits of a few for the dangers of many” dangers of many” - Diane Lettiere (Executive Director of the New Jersey Prevention Network) *Interviews from CBS News “All the people who shouldn’t get it are going to get it, youths are going to get it, school children are going to get it. It’s going to be disseminated all over.” - Diane Lucianna (New Jersey Resident)

Conclusion With more states legalizing the use of medicinal marijuana its acceptance in society seems to be more evident. With controversy around the true affects of it and who should be eligible to obtain it, this doesn’t seem like an issue that will disappear anytime soon. This legalization in New Jersey may just be a beacon of hope for those who live in other states and are waiting for the day their medication may be legalized.