WHO: Medical marijuana patients and advocates
WHAT: Protest to raise awareness of the need for home cultivation emergency relief especially regarding approval of qualifying condition Opioid Use Disorder
WHEN: Thursday, April 18, 2019 at 12:00 pm (Die-In at 1:11 pm)
WHERE: NJ State Capital Building Annex 165 West State St., Trenton, New Jersey 08608
WHY: Failure to allow common sense, affordable home cultivation access in the Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Act

The Alternative Treatment Centers (ATCs) are not keeping up supply with demand for medical cannabis products for the 44,000 and growing number of registered patients. Availability of a variety of medical cannabis products and strains can mean the difference between life and death for some registered patients. Some have seen needed strains of cannabis discontinued for business reasons.

Near 3,200 people died of drug overdoses in New Jersey in 2018. According to the American Medical Association there was a 25 percent lower rate of prescription painkiller overdose deaths on average after implementation of a good medical cannabis program. The state recently approved opioid use disorder (OUD) as a qualifying condition for a recommendation for medical cannabis, but have not yet expanded access and have not upheld the law (CUMMA) of providing affordably priced medical cannabis to registered patients.

Home cultivation can be a third to a quarter of the price of ATC cannabis.

All legalized states allow this fundamental, medical access for affordability, accessibility, and availability.

Senate President Stephen Sweeney believes New Jersey medical cannabis patients do not need home cultivation of medical cannabis and that the state will provide all the affordable cannabis we need if we legalize. This plan includes registered patients (including an unlimited supply to those using for palliative care), adult-use consumers, and tourists from surrounding states and that prices will be significantly reduced for the those that cannot afford it now.

This plan of expanding ATCs to increase competition and lower prices will take quite some time, possibly years. People will suffer and die in that time.

It seems legislators are more concerned with protecting ATC investments rather than patients’ right to life.

Patients have been at the legislators mercy for long enough!
They need this access now!

Home cultivation is compassionate, affordable expanded access sooner rather than later. It is not the end all be all to access, but it is a fundamental medical right that should be respected and protected. Many recovering from serious addictions and illnesses can find comfort in gardening their own medicine.

So we are inviting patients for medical cannabis home cultivation and their supporters to participate in a medicinal cannabis/opioid use crisis die-in protest at the New Jersey State House Annex.

Shortages of medical cannabis have been seen in a number of legalized places. Home cultivation can help ensure availability.

We are asking for compassion and a serious look at resources, especially in a cannabis legalization scenario. We would like legislation for medical cannabis home cultivation to be sponsored and passed to help protect medical cannabis patients and their families.

We will be gathering at the Annex at high noon and perform the die-in at 1:11 pm.

For further information, contact: Jo Anne Zito 551-580-2767 joazie420@gmail.com

https://www.facebook.com/events/740041063045572/