Medical Marijuana Bills Advance in N.J.

The New Jersey Senate has approved a medical-marijuana bill, and expected passage by the Assembly could make New Jersey the latest state to allow legal medical use of the drug, the Wall Street Journal reported Dec. 1.

Gov. John Corzine said he would sign the measure into law if it reaches his desk. Corzine recently lost his reelection bid to Republican John Cristie, but Cristie also has expressed support for medical-marijuana legislation, although perhaps with more restrictions than the current bill.

Under the Senate bill, individuals with conditions like cancer, glaucoma and HIV could legally grow, possess and use marijuana for medical purposes with a physician’s consent. The case of John Ray Wilson, a New Jersey resident with multiple sclerosis who faces felony drug charges for growing marijuana at his home, has become a cause celebre in the debate over the legislation.