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Corzine Signs Pot and Anti-Munchies Bills
By
Sabrina Jaszi
Published Jan 19, 2010
Modified Jan 19, 2010
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By
Sabrina Jaszi
Published Jan 19, 2010
Modified Jan 19, 2010
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Former New Jersey Governor John Corzine's hand must be cramped—on his last day in office he signed 54 bills into law, including one to legalize medical marijuana. And though he's letting state residents with chronic illnesses toke up, he also wants to discourage the munchies. Yesterday he followed New York's lead in making calorie postings mandatory at fast-food restaurants.
The list of illnesses that warrant the trees currently includes cancer, glaucoma, multiple sclerosis, HIV/AIDS, seizure disorder, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (also known as Lou Gherig’s disease), severe muscle spasms, muscular dystrophy, inflammatory bowel disease, Crohn’s disease and any terminal illness if the patient will die within a year. So sorry New Jersey, pot won't be prescribed for insomnia or eating disorders.
But for those who fit the description, the law could create a drastic change in lifestyle: “It means a lot to my family whether I can go sleigh-riding or not, or even just a day at the beach,” Chuck Kwiatkowski who suffers from multiple sclerosis told the NJ Real-Time News. “It’s a great thing to not feel like a criminal anymore.”
In addition, Corzine pushed through an anti-munchies bill to require calorie postings at New Jersey chain restaurants. Specifically, it requires franchises with more than 20 locations nationally to disclose calorie content on drive-through and indoor menu boards. Other bills require continuing eduction for licensed engineers and deny abusive spouses the right to decide how their partner's remains should be disposed of. He also signed a measure to end state control of the impoverished City of Camden.
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