TRENTON, N.J. --With a nod toWhoopi Goldberg,
lawmakers in New Jersey announced legislation that would loosen the
state's strict medical marijuana law to allow women to get pot-based
products to ease menstrual cramps.
CBS New York reported
Democratic Assembly members Tim Eustace, L. Grace Spencer and Angelica
Jimenez introduced the bill on Thursday. In a news release, the
legislators noted that their move follows the actress' collaboration
with a maker of organic marijuana edibles on a line of medical cannabis
designed to relieve menstrual pain.
"People have this puritanical idea that it's a bunch of
potheads sitting in these dispensaries, but there are some very sick
patients in need," Eustace said.
Taylor West, the deputy director
of the National Cannabis Industry Association, a nonprofit trade group,
said she's not aware of any other state that specifically list cramps as
an ailment authorized for medical marijuana use. But she said that it
has likely been prescribed for menstrual cramps in states where doctors
have more leeway in prescribing medical marijuana.
"For many
women, the response to pain so severe that it causes them to vomit or
faint is either, 'Just deal with it,' or a prescription drug that may
not even alleviate their symptoms," Jimenez said.
Under current
New Jersey law, marijuana is limited to use for a specific list of
ailments, including multiple sclerosis, terminal cancer, muscular
dystrophy, and other chronic illnesses. It's also approved for seizures
and glaucoma if resistant to conventional treatment.
Goldberg, a
New Jersey resident, connected with edibles manufacturer Maya Elisabeth
to launch the line, Whoopi & Maya, which includes THC-infused
creams, bath salts and chocolate. The products are set to be available
soon in a handful of dispensaries in California, where users need a
doctor's authorization to buy a wide range of marijuana or pot-based
products.
The idea for the legislation came from oversight hearings on
New Jersey's medical marijuana that showed the state is missing out on
edible and liquid marijuana products because only smokable forms are
available, Eustace said. When Goldberg and Elisabeth's product was
announced, he said, it sounded like a good fit for treating
dysmenorrhea, the medical term for painful menstrual cramps.
"One of the most underserved populations is women," Eustace said.
New Jersey's medical marijuana program
dates to former Gov. Jon Corzine's administration, but Gov. Chris
Christie has gone slow in implementing it, arguing it is little more
than "a front for legalization."
Medical marijuana in New Jersey
is tightly restricted and state lawmakers said Christie's administration
has placed "arbitrary and unnecessary" restrictions on the program.
Patients and doctors, for instance, must register with the state.
Caregivers have to pay a $200 fee for an identification card.
Marijuana has been legalized for all uses in Colorado, Washington, Oregon and Alaska and for medical use in nearly 20 others.
New Jersey held its first-ever meeting on legalizing the recreational use of marijuana in late 2015, CBS New York reported. New York State began rolling out its medical marijuana program earlier this year.Source-TRENTON, N.J. --With a nod toWhoopi Goldberg,
lawmakers in New Jersey announced legislation that would loosen the
state's strict medical marijuana law to allow women to get pot-based
products to ease menstrual cramps.
CBS New York reported
Democratic Assembly members Tim Eustace, L. Grace Spencer and Angelica
Jimenez introduced the bill on Thursday. In a news release, the
legislators noted that their move follows the actress' collaboration
with a maker of organic marijuana edibles on a line of medical cannabis
designed to relieve menstrual pain.
"People have this puritanical idea that it's a bunch of
potheads sitting in these dispensaries, but there are some very sick
patients in need," Eustace said.
Taylor West, the deputy director
of the National Cannabis Industry Association, a nonprofit trade group,
said she's not aware of any other state that specifically list cramps as
an ailment authorized for medical marijuana use. But she said that it
has likely been prescribed for menstrual cramps in states where doctors
have more leeway in prescribing medical marijuana.
"For many
women, the response to pain so severe that it causes them to vomit or
faint is either, 'Just deal with it,' or a prescription drug that may
not even alleviate their symptoms," Jimenez said.
Under current
New Jersey law, marijuana is limited to use for a specific list of
ailments, including multiple sclerosis, terminal cancer, muscular
dystrophy, and other chronic illnesses. It's also approved for seizures
and glaucoma if resistant to conventional treatment.
Goldberg, a
New Jersey resident, connected with edibles manufacturer Maya Elisabeth
to launch the line, Whoopi & Maya, which includes THC-infused
creams, bath salts and chocolate. The products are set to be available
soon in a handful of dispensaries in California, where users need a
doctor's authorization to buy a wide range of marijuana or pot-based
products.
The idea for the legislation came from oversight hearings on
New Jersey's medical marijuana that showed the state is missing out on
edible and liquid marijuana products because only smokable forms are
available, Eustace said. When Goldberg and Elisabeth's product was
announced, he said, it sounded like a good fit for treating
dysmenorrhea, the medical term for painful menstrual cramps.
"One of the most underserved populations is women," Eustace said.
New Jersey's medical marijuana program
dates to former Gov. Jon Corzine's administration, but Gov. Chris
Christie has gone slow in implementing it, arguing it is little more
than "a front for legalization."
Medical marijuana in New Jersey
is tightly restricted and state lawmakers said Christie's administration
has placed "arbitrary and unnecessary" restrictions on the program.
Patients and doctors, for instance, must register with the state.
Caregivers have to pay a $200 fee for an identification card.
Marijuana has been legalized for all uses in Colorado, Washington, Oregon and Alaska and for medical use in nearly 20 others.
New Jersey held its first-ever meeting on legalizing the recreational use of marijuana in late 2015, CBS New York reported. New York State began rolling out its medical marijuana program earlier this year.source-cbsnews
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