DrugSense

DrugSense

DrugSense

Hunterdon County Democrat, 20 Aug 2012 – TEWKSBURY TWP. — Only a handful of patients initially signed up for New Jersey’s medical marijuana program. Township resident David Barnes, who qualifies for the program due to a debilitating digestive disorder, was not one of them, despite his desire to participate. In the past year, while waiting for the program to begin, Barnes has been to the emergency room four times after experiencing seizures. Meanwhile, his doctor of more than 15 years — who signed up a year ago with the physicians’ registry — experienced his own health problems and was forced to retire from practicing medicine.

The Times, 20 Aug 2012 – The implementation of New Jersey’s Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Act is long overdue ("Patient registry for medical pot gets under way — First of Jersey’s six dispensaries to open in Montclair next month," Aug. 9). While there have been studies showing that marijuana can shrink cancerous tumors, medical marijuana is essentially a palliative drug. If a doctor recommends marijuana to a cancer patient undergoing chemotherapy and it helps him or her feel better, then it’s working. In the end, medical marijuana is a quality-of-life decision best left to patients and their doctors.

DrugSense

Burlington County Times, 14 Aug 2012 – MOUNT HOLLY — The fate of medical marijuana patient NJWeedman will now be in the hands of a second Burlington County jury this fall after a Superior Court judge Tuesday morning denied the activist’s motion for acquittal on a drug distribution charge stemming from a 2010 arrest. Ed Forchion, who claims dual residency in Pemberton Township and Los Angeles, is excited to get another day in court to bring his case before a new jury. He tried unsuccessfully to withdraw the motion for acquittal before Tuesday’s hearing, but Judge Charles Delehey heard oral arguments anyway, saying "enough is enough of Mr. Forchion’s nonsense."

The Record, 14 Aug 2012 – Regarding "Glacial progress" (Editorial, Aug. 11): If health outcomes determined drug laws instead of cultural norms, marijuana would be fully legal and there would be no medical marijuana debate. Unlike alcohol, marijuana has never been shown to cause an overdose death, nor does it share the addictive properties of tobacco.

DrugSense

New Jersey Herald, 11 Aug 2012 – Two Sussex County doctors are now able to register their patients for the state’s medical marijuana program, according to the state Department of Health. Dr. Bernard Weintraub and Dr. Sami Yasin, both practicing in Sussex County, are two of nearly 150 physicians in the state who as of Thursday could begin signing up their patients through a registry system for medical marijuana.