Jim
01-14-2005, 03:36 PM
First, the good news: Senator Nicholas Scutari formally introduced to the Senate the New Jersey Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Act (S2200) on January 11, 2005. As such, it has leapfrogged the Assembly bill, and is available for review on the Legislative web site here: http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/bills/BillView.asp?BillNumber=S2200
The important part: Senator Joseph Vitale is both the Deputy Senate Majority Leader and Chair of the Health, Human Services and Sr. Citizens Committee. He has the authority to schedule hearings on the bill, or to let it sit dormant. His decision will be made this week or early next.
What you can to do help: Contact Senator Vitale by email (SenVitale@njleg.org), telephone (732) 855-7441, U.S. mail (87 Main St., Woodbridge, NJ 07095) and in person and tell him you want hearings scheduled for S2200 (the bill's Senate designation) in the Spring 2005 session.
Once hearings are scheduled, patients, doctors, caregivers, experts, interested citizens and anyone with an opinion may testify before the Committee. If the Committee votes in favor of the bill, it will go before the full Senate. If they pass it, the Assembly passes it and the Governor signs it, the bill becomes law.
But hearings must be scheduled first!
Please contact Sen. Vitale this week, and tell everyone you know to do so as well.
NOW IS THE TIME YOUR PARTICIPATION WILL BE MOST EFFECTIVE.
Thank you very much,
Coalition for Medical Marijuana -- New Jersey
www.cmmnj.org (http://www.cmmnj.org)
Here's a copy of the letter I sent-
January 14, 2005
87 Main Street.
Woodbridge, NJ 07095
Dear Senator Vitale:
I am a citizen of New Jersey and use marijuana for medicinal purposes. I suffer from Neuropathic Pain (NP) due to a Spinal Cord Injury (SCI). My pain can be described as a burning sensation in my buttocks and legs. When severe, it feels like I am sitting on a hot grill.
My Dr's at Kessler and I tried all the traditional drugs available to treat NP, including the synthetic form of marijuana, Marinol, without success. When we ran out of options I tried smoking marijuana. We were amazed at how well it worked. It lessened the pain from about an 8, down to a 2. Other advantages: no side-effects, increased appetite, and I only have to smoke a small amount before bedtime, once every 2-3 weeks (much less expensive than prescription drugs).
As a productive citizen I should be able to smoke marijuana to lessen my pain without fear of arrest or prosecution. Why should I have to suffer because the pharmaceutical industry doesn't own a patent on marijuana?
Please schedule hearings for Bill S2200.
If for any reason you would like to contact me, please do so.
If you would like to learn more about Spinal Cord Injury please check out this website-
http://carecure.rutgers.edu/spinewire/index.html
Best regards,
The important part: Senator Joseph Vitale is both the Deputy Senate Majority Leader and Chair of the Health, Human Services and Sr. Citizens Committee. He has the authority to schedule hearings on the bill, or to let it sit dormant. His decision will be made this week or early next.
What you can to do help: Contact Senator Vitale by email (SenVitale@njleg.org), telephone (732) 855-7441, U.S. mail (87 Main St., Woodbridge, NJ 07095) and in person and tell him you want hearings scheduled for S2200 (the bill's Senate designation) in the Spring 2005 session.
Once hearings are scheduled, patients, doctors, caregivers, experts, interested citizens and anyone with an opinion may testify before the Committee. If the Committee votes in favor of the bill, it will go before the full Senate. If they pass it, the Assembly passes it and the Governor signs it, the bill becomes law.
But hearings must be scheduled first!
Please contact Sen. Vitale this week, and tell everyone you know to do so as well.
NOW IS THE TIME YOUR PARTICIPATION WILL BE MOST EFFECTIVE.
Thank you very much,
Coalition for Medical Marijuana -- New Jersey
www.cmmnj.org (http://www.cmmnj.org)
Here's a copy of the letter I sent-
January 14, 2005
87 Main Street.
Woodbridge, NJ 07095
Dear Senator Vitale:
I am a citizen of New Jersey and use marijuana for medicinal purposes. I suffer from Neuropathic Pain (NP) due to a Spinal Cord Injury (SCI). My pain can be described as a burning sensation in my buttocks and legs. When severe, it feels like I am sitting on a hot grill.
My Dr's at Kessler and I tried all the traditional drugs available to treat NP, including the synthetic form of marijuana, Marinol, without success. When we ran out of options I tried smoking marijuana. We were amazed at how well it worked. It lessened the pain from about an 8, down to a 2. Other advantages: no side-effects, increased appetite, and I only have to smoke a small amount before bedtime, once every 2-3 weeks (much less expensive than prescription drugs).
As a productive citizen I should be able to smoke marijuana to lessen my pain without fear of arrest or prosecution. Why should I have to suffer because the pharmaceutical industry doesn't own a patent on marijuana?
Please schedule hearings for Bill S2200.
If for any reason you would like to contact me, please do so.
If you would like to learn more about Spinal Cord Injury please check out this website-
http://carecure.rutgers.edu/spinewire/index.html
Best regards,