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Frustrating advocates of the liberalization of the laws regarding the use of medical marijuana in New Jersey, Governor Chris Christie signed a “conditional veto” of the proposed legislation, disallowing the use of medical marijuana unless some restrictions are adhered to.
Saying that the passage of the law is a “small victory,” Brian Wilson, the father who confronted Christie about New Jersey’s medical marijuana bill, added that the conditions placed on the bill are “ludicrous.”
“Everyone expected a conditional veto but this is kind of even lower than the worst case conditional veto that we thought. So while it is a small victory, he kind of put himself all over it and really just maintains the idea of making one of the worst medical marijuana programs in the country and one of the most unsafe medical marijuana programs in the country,” Wilson said.
Wilson said that Christie was placing obstacles between parents and doctors, making decision making more difficult. “So it’s a small victory but it’s kind of ludicrous in a lot of ways.”
Wilson, whose 2 year-old daughter Vivian suffers from Dravet Syndrome, an illness which causes severe seizures, is happy with some of the parameters of the new law. The Governor approved forms of the drug which can be eaten rather than smoked, and will also allow more than three strains of marijuana to be grown in state dispensaries. Wilson, however, is not so happy with the requirement to have a psychiatrist approve the administration of the drug, calling it a “roadblock.”
There’s no rhyme or reason to have a psychiatrist be part of this decision. You’re talking about sick kids who aren’t even mentally necessarily capable of talking. Vivian can’t even talk,” he said referring to his daughter.
“To keep that in is just telling…parents who are suffering with these horrible diseases with children, ‘I’m going to make it more difficult for you to get this treatment for your child.’”
Wilson also expressed his disappointment that the law does not extend the allowance of ingestible forms of marijuana to older patients.
“We’re happy for Vivian but what about all the adults? Governor Christie is basically telling all the adults, ‘you have no other option but to smoke marijuana…in order to use it,” he said. “It’s not necessarily a safe thing to do. You know, let’s have a safe program here.”