The Record, 18 Apr 2012 – THE PATH toward start-up of New Jersey’s medical marijuana law has been a slow and painful march, beset by one roadblock after another. Already one of the most stringent laws in the nation, the Garden State version has been further hindered by Governor Christie, who was never excited about its prospects in the first place. Bureaucratic foot-dragging has dogged the process from Day One, as have repeated skirmishes with legislators about how the law should be implemented. Extensive paperwork has been thrown in at every turn.

The Record, 18 Apr 2012 – THE PATH toward start-up of New Jersey’s medical marijuana law has been a slow and painful march, beset by one roadblock after another. Already one of the most stringent laws in the nation, the Garden State version has been further hindered by Governor Christie, who was never excited about its prospects in the first place. Bureaucratic foot-dragging has dogged the process from Day One, as have repeated skirmishes with legislators about how the law should be implemented. Extensive paperwork has been thrown in at every turn.

The Record, 18 Apr 2012 – THE PATH toward start-up of New Jersey’s medical marijuana law has been a slow and painful march, beset by one roadblock after another. Already one of the most stringent laws in the nation, the Garden State version has been further hindered by Governor Christie, who was never excited about its prospects in the first place. Bureaucratic foot-dragging has dogged the process from Day One, as have repeated skirmishes with legislators about how the law should be implemented. Extensive paperwork has been thrown in at every turn.

Daily Targum, 08 Feb 2012 – Former Gov. John S. Corzine signed the New Jersey Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Act in January 2010, effectively making the state the 14th in the country to legalize marijuana for medical purposes. Yet in the two years that followed, little progress was made regarding efforts to open up dispensaries or growing facilities within the state. Since the law’s signing, state-approved centers beginning operations have faced a sluggish response from both the state’s health department and a certain unwillingness to accommodate their facilities from N.J. townships. Only two out of the six centers have found homes thus far, including Greenleaf Compassion Center in Montclair, and more recently, Compassionate Care Foundation in Egg Harbor Township.

Daily Targum, 08 Feb 2012 – Former Gov. John S. Corzine signed the New Jersey Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Act in January 2010, effectively making the state the 14th in the country to legalize marijuana for medical purposes. Yet in the two years that followed, little progress was made regarding efforts to open up dispensaries or growing facilities within the state. Since the law’s signing, state-approved centers beginning operations have faced a sluggish response from both the state’s health department and a certain unwillingness to accommodate their facilities from N.J. townships. Only two out of the six centers have found homes thus far, including Greenleaf Compassion Center in Montclair, and more recently, Compassionate Care Foundation in Egg Harbor Township.

The Press of Atlantic City, 12 Oct 2010 – No one expected New Jersey’s medical-marijuana law to be the kind of loose, wink-and-a-nod dispensary system that exists in California. Fact is, that’s precisely what supporters of the measure said would not happen. And that’s what makes the angry outcry over the new, restrictive rules announced last week by the Christie administration seem a bit overwrought. Are they strict? Yes. Are they so strict as to make medical marijuana unavailable to people who need it? We don’t think so – but those critics have a 60-day public hearing process to make their case. And the Christie administration should be open to tweaking the regulations if that case is made.

DrugSense

Daily Targum, 31 Aug 2010 – The University refuses to comment extensively on the matter and the story has somewhat laid low for the past 30 days, but the rejection to grow medical marijuana on University grounds was a mistake. The plans of being the state’s sole marijuana grower went up in smoke after University officials turned down this financially beneficial and innovative move. As a research university, we are supposed to be groundbreaking, and this would have been the ideal opportunity – therefore the refusal to be the first university in the country to grow medical marijuana seems to be unfounded. According to the Associated Press, private businesses grow the drug in the 13 other states that permit medical marijuana. Being on the cusp of researching this newly legalized drug would have provided more than financial advantages. After all, we have the resources and Gov. Chris Christie supported the cause – the only hurdle was the Universities frightened attitude toward losing federal funding.

The Record, 31 Jul 2010 – STOP BLOWING smoke. It’s time to inhale. Cancer patients, people with AIDS, victims of Lou Gehrig’s disease and others have waited long enough. They were supposed to be allowed to smoke medical marijuana starting in October. Thirteen other states already allow it, and New Jersey became the 14th back in January, when the Legislature passed the nation’s strictest law and then-Gov. Jon Corzine signed it.

Herald News, 31 Jul 2010 – STOP BLOWING smoke. It’s time to inhale. Cancer patients, people with AIDS, victims of Lou Gehrig’s disease and others have waited long enough. They were supposed to be allowed to smoke medical marijuana starting in October. Thirteen other states already allow it, and New Jersey became the 14th back in January, when the Legislature passed the nation’s strictest law and then-Gov. Jon Corzine signed it. But then Governor Christie pushed back the start date to January 2011, in a move befitting a prosecutor, because he wanted "to do it the right way," his spokesman said.