Ronald Rice Did Not Vote on this Legislation.
Title: Legalizing Medical Marijuana
Signed by Governor Jon Corzine
Title: Legalizing Medical Marijuana
Vote to concur with House amendments and pass a bill that legalizes the medicinal use of marijuana for patients that have been diagnosed by a physician as having a debilitating medical condition, and authorizes the establishment of alternative treatment centers to handle the production, storage, and dissemination of medical marijuana beginning 6 months after the date of enactment.
-Defines "debilitating medical condition" as follows (Sec. 3):
-Authorizes physicians to prescribe up to 2 ounces of usable marijuana for a 30 day period (Sec. 10). -Requires the Department to establish a registry of qualifying patients and their primary caregivers, and issue registry identification cards, valid for 2 years, to qualifying individuals who submit the following (Sec. 4):
-Requires the Department to verify the above information before issuing a registry identification card, but requires the Department to approve or deny an application or renewal within 30 days of receiving an application and issue or renew the registry identification card within 5 days of approval (Sec. 4). -Requires primary caregiver applicants to be at least 18 years of age and undergo a criminal history record background check (Secs. 3-4). -Prohibits the Commissioner of Health and Senior Services from approving a primary caregiver application if the applicant was convicted of any crime involving a controlled dangerous substance or controlled substance analog (Chapter 35, Title 2C), unless it was a conviction for the possession of 50 grams of less of marijuana, or if the applicant as demonstrated to the commissioner "clear and convincing" evidence of rehabilitation (Sec. 4). -Requires the Department to accept applications from entities for permits to operate alternative treatment centers to produce and dispense marijuana to qualifying patients and their primary caregivers (Sec. 7). -Requires the Department to ensure that there are a "sufficient number" of alternative treatment centers throughout the state, including at least 2 non-profit entities each in the northern, central, and southern regions of the state (Sec. 7). -Authorizes for-profit entities to operate alternative treatment centers, other than the aforementioned mandatory 2 centers in the three regions of the state (Sec. 7). -Requires alternative treatment center applicants, including owners, directors, officers, and employees, to undergo a criminal history record background checks (Sec. 7). -Prohibits the Commissioner from approving an alternative treatment center application if the applicant was convicted of any crime involving a controlled dangerous substance or controlled substance analog (Chapter 35, Title 2C), with the following exceptions (Sec. 7):
-Requires the Commissioner to establish regulations that monitor, oversee, and investigate all activities performed by an alternative treatment center, including a requirement for written documentation of each delivery of marijuana to, and pickup of marijuana for, a registered patient (Sec. 7). -Specifies that the provisions of this Act do not authorize any individual to do the following (Sec. 7):
-Specifies that the provisions of this Act do not require a government medical assistance program or private health insurer to provide coverage for medical marijuana (Sec. 16). -Requires the Commissioner to annually report to the Governor and Legislature the following information (Sec. 14):
-Requires the Commissioner to evaluate the following every two years and report the information to the Governor and Legislature (Sec. 14):
Title: Legalizing Medical Marijuana
Vote to pass a bill that legalizes the medicinal use of marijuana for patients that have been diagnosed by a physician as having a debilitating medical condition, and authorizes the establishment of alternative treatment centers to handle the production, storage, and dissemination of medical marijuana beginning 6 months after the date of enactment.
-Defines "debilitating medical condition" as follows (Sec. 3):
-Authorizes physicians to prescribe up to 2 ounces of usable marijuana for a 30 day period (Sec. 10). -Requires the Department to establish a registry of qualifying patients and their primary caregivers, and issue registry identification cards, valid for 2 years, to qualifying individuals who submit the following (Sec. 4):
-Requires the Department to verify the above information before issuing a registry identification card, but requires the Department to approve or deny an application or renewal within 30 days of receiving an application and issue or renew the registry identification card within 5 days of approval (Sec. 4). -Requires primary caregiver applicants to be at least 18 years of age and undergo a criminal history record background check (Secs. 3-4). -Prohibits the Commissioner of Health and Senior Services from approving a primary caregiver application if the applicant was convicted of any crime involving a controlled dangerous substance or controlled substance analog (Chapter 35, Title 2C), unless it was a conviction for the possession of 50 grams of less of marijuana, or if the applicant as demonstrated to the commissioner "clear and convincing" evidence of rehabilitation (Sec. 4). -Requires the Department to accept applications from entities for permits to operate alternative treatment centers to produce and dispense marijuana to qualifying patients and their primary caregivers (Sec. 7). -Requires the Department to ensure that there are a "sufficient number" of alternative treatment centers throughout the state, including at least 2 non-profit entities each in the northern, central, and southern regions of the state (Sec. 7). -Authorizes for-profit entities to operate alternative treatment centers, other than the aforementioned mandatory 2 centers in the three regions of the state (Sec. 7). -Requires alternative treatment center applicants, including owners, directors, officers, and employees, to undergo a criminal history record background checks (Sec. 7). -Prohibits the Commissioner from approving an alternative treatment center application if the applicant was convicted of any crime involving a controlled dangerous substance or controlled substance analog (Chapter 35, Title 2C), with the following exceptions (Sec. 7):
-Requires the Commissioner to establish regulations that monitor, oversee, and investigate all activities performed by an alternative treatment center, including a requirement for written documentation of each delivery of marijuana to, and pickup of marijuana for, a registered patient (Sec. 7). -Specifies that the provisions of this Act do not authorize any individual to do the following (Sec. 7):
-Specifies that the provisions of this Act do not require a government medical assistance program or private health insurer to provide coverage for medical marijuana (Sec. 16). -Requires the Commissioner to annually report to the Governor and Legislature the following information (Sec. 14):
-Requires the Commissioner to evaluate the following every two years and report the information to the Governor and Legislature (Sec. 14):
Title: Legalizing Medical Marijuana
Vote to pass a bill that legalizes the medicinal use of marijuana for patients that have been diagnosed by a physician as having a debilitating medical condition, and establishes alternative treatment centers to handle the production, storage, and dissemination of medical marijuana.
- Prohibits the arrest, prosecution, or penalty of any manner being imposed on a patient in possession of a registry identification card and up to six marijuana plants or one ounce of usable marijuana, and prevents the destruction of those amounts of marijuana if possessed by a qualified patient (Sec. 4). - Requires the Department of Health and Human Services to issue a registry identification card to qualifying individuals who submit the following (Sec. 9):
Title: Legalizing Medical Marijuana