Dear MPP Supporter :
Last night, Gov. Jon Corzine (D) signed New Jersey's medical marijuana legislation into law. As a result, New Jersey is now the 14th state to protect seriously ill patients from arrest and jail for using medical marijuana with their doctors' approval.
The bill had been passed by the New Jersey Legislature on January 11, passing by 48-14 in the Assembly and 25-13 in the Senate.
The new law will not only protect medical marijuana patients from arrest and jail but also allows for the regulated dispensing of medical marijuana. When the law is implemented, it's likely that there will be at least six dispensaries for patients to obtain their medicine, two in each part of the state. Doctors will be able to recommend up to two ounces of marijuana to patients within a 30-day period.
The Drug Policy Alliance New Jersey and the Coalition for Medical Marijuana-New Jersey led the lobbying efforts to pass this important legislation, which will go into effect this summer.
We're hoping that the decisive victory in New Jersey will convince neighboring state New York to do the right thing and protect patients who continue to live in fear. MPP has been pushing a medical marijuana bill forward there for seven years, and this year looks like the year that it may finally become law.
With the help of MPP's 29,000 dues-paying members, we'll continue to roll back the government's war on the sick and dying. We're working hard in Arizona, New York, Delaware, Illinois, Maryland, and Massachusetts to make these states the 15th, 16th, 17th, 18th, 19th, and 20th to pass medical marijuana legislation. Would you please consider making a donation today to support our efforts?
Thank you,
Rob Kampia
Executive Director
Marijuana Policy Project
Washington, D.C.
P.S. You can opt out of the fundraising mentions in the e-mail alerts I send you in 2010 by visiting http://www.mpp.org/optoutpreferences at your convenience.
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