Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
NJ Weed Restrictions: A Buzz Kill?
By
Sabrina Jaszi
Published Jan 13, 2010
Modified Jan 13, 2010
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Sabrina Jaszi
Published Jan 13, 2010
Modified Jan 13, 2010
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
New Jersey voted yes to medical marijuana for those suffering from chronic illnesses this week, but promised to make laws governing the drug the least chill in the nation. This means no home growing, no driving high and no more than two ounces per month. The marijuana will only be available at state-regulated dispensaries, which may be expensive to open and operate. With the red tape piling up, will all these restrictions keep weed from those in need?
Card-holding patients will pick up their medicine at "alternative treatment centers," nonprofit or for-profit establishments licensed to grow and distribute marijuana. It’s a tricky business since the dispensaries will need to tailor-fit cannabis strains to appropriate ailments. "During the course of the day, they want to use an energetic strain that keeps people sharp, and at night a different one," marijuana expert Chris Conrad, who teaches at "Oaksterdam University" told the NY Post. "The legislators probably do not realize the sheer number of strains the dispensaries will need to carry." Roseanne Scotti, director of Drug Policy Alliance of New Jersey, is concerned, "if it is too costly and too restrictive, people may not want to open centers."
In other medical marijuana news, NJ may pass the joint to NY. A fledgling medical-marijuana bill passed the New York Assembly's Health Committee yesterday, though its future is far from certain. "If a patient and their physician are in agreement that the most effective way of controlling their symptoms is marijuana, government should not stand in the way of treatment," said Assemblyman Richard Gottfried.
Tagged
dispensary
legalize
medical marijuana
nj
NY
Oaksterdam University
richard gottfried
Sabrina Jaszi
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
NYPD: Officer shot, injured knife-wielding woman during ‘chaotic’ night at Queens home
The woman is stable condition, police said, but several people were stabbed.
By
Ryan Kost
Published Oct 24, 2026 at 8:35 a.m. ET
3 slates vying to run Jersey City school board as city stares down major tax hikes
The incumbent slate, formerly backed by the teacher's union, lost that influential support over public arguments and controversies.
By
Michael Sol Warren
News
3 slates vying to run Jersey City school board as city stares down major tax hikes
The incumbent slate, formerly backed by the teacher's union, lost that influential support over public arguments and controversies.
By
Michael Sol Warren
5 men charged with trespassing in 2 Manhattan manhole cases
By
Charles Lane
6-year-old girl breaks leg after getting hit by falling bricks in Queens
By
Charles Lane
Mamdani extends ban on permits for new street fairs due to NYPD overtime
By
Carol Chen
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .