Chris Christie Agrees to Legalize Medical Marijuana for Chronically Ill Children

Soft Secrets
16 Aug 2013

Bill inspired by plight of 2-year-old Vivian Wilson's potentially lethal form of epilepsy


Bill inspired by plight of 2-year-old Vivian Wilson's potentially lethal form of epilepsy

SOURCE: The Star Ledger
AUTHOR: Susan K. Livio

TRENTON - Gov. Chris Christie agreed today to make it easier for severely ill children to participate in the medical marijuana program, but said he would not go along with one provision of the measure and sent it back to the state Legislature.

The bill was inspired by the plight of 2-year-old Vivian Wilson, who has been diagnosed with a potentially lethal form of epilepsy known as Dravet syndrome, for which a rare strain of marijuana in Colorado has helped reduce symptoms for in several dozen other sick children.

In giving lawmakers much of what they wanted, Christie agreed to provisions allowing marijuana cultivators to produce more than three strains of the drug, and to sell edible products that children would be able to consume.

But he let stand a provision that requires referrals from a pediatrician registered in the program as well as from a psychiatrist; if the child's pediatrician is not registered, then a third doctor's approval is required.

"I believe that parents, and not government regulators, are best suited to decide how to care for their children," Christie in his conditional veto of the bill. "Protection of our children remains my utmost concern, and my heart goes out to those children and their families who are suffering with serious illnesses."

The statement went on: "Today, I am making commonsense recommendations to this legislation to ensure sick children receive the treatment their parents prefer, while maintaining appropriate safeguards. I am calling on the Legislature to reconvene quickly and address these issues so that children in need can get the treatment they need."

But Christie said he disagreed with limiting the number of doctors involved, noting that "the need for children to benefit from additional specialized review must be maintained."

Brian Wilson of Scotch Plains, Vivian's father, said he and his wife Meghan were "confident the Legislature will resolve the conflict and hope that the Department of Health implements these changes swiftly and with good faith of the intent of the law."

"However," Wilson added, "we are disappointed that the governor decided to make it so difficult for parents, who are already enduring tremendous pain and heartache, to get approval for such a safe and simple medication. We think that the next course of action is for the legislation to draft a bill to require a three doctors to sign off for pediatric prescriptions of opiates, barbiturates, benzodiazepines, steroids and methamphetamines, which are all liberally prescribed with little oversight or doctor-to-parent education."

Christie, who frequently criticizes the medical marijuana law he inherited from Gov. Jon Corzine 3-1/2 years ago, initially said he was not comfortable allowing children to consume the drug without more evidence it won't cause harm. He said he also feared any easing of the rules that would enable people to abuse the drug for recreational purposes.

The Wilsons organized a letter-writing campaign that drew 2,200 responses urging the governor to sign the bill, (S2842). Other families came forward whose children also suffer from seizure disorders to demand that he support the measure.

Meghan Wilson said that even if the governor signs the bill, she predicted it would take another year before the kind of medicine Vivian needs will be available. For now, only one dispensary, in Montclair, is open, and it does not sell the strain of marijuana Vivian needs with the precise amount of cannabidiol, or CBD, content that is low in THC (tetrahydrocannabinol).

The bill now goes back to the Legislature. The Senate has a voting session scheduled for Monday, but it is not known if it will take up the measure.

State Sen. Nicholas Scutari and state Assemblywoman Linda Stender (both D-Union), said they were disappointed the governor did not support the entire bill and did not know how they would proceed. In order for the bill to become law, it must go back to the legislature to approve Christie's changes.

"Our number one priority is to provide relief from suffering for children like Vivian so we will take a close look at the governor's proposed changes to see if we can work with them to still accomplish that goal," Stender said.

"It's unfortunate that these families were forced to wait nearly two months while this legislation languished on the governor's desk and now he is prolonging their suffering by telling them they must wait even longer," Stender added.

Keeping the multiple doctor requirement "continues to present a significant hurdle for families to get relief," Scutari said. "I want to consult with the family who is most affected and the sponsors. But I am pleased (he approved) the other two aspects."

 

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