The bill provides that the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services establish a registration program authorizing alternative treatment centers to produce and dispense medically-related marijuana. Any alternative treatment center permit holder and employee would not be subject to arrest or prosecution, provided the amount of marijuana possessed by the center, combined with the amount possessed by the registered patient and his primary caregiver, does not exceed a predetermined limit. In addition, patients and caregivers who possess a special registry identification card and collectively possess no more than the established amount would be protected from arrest, prosecution, civil penalty or disciplinary action.


The Statement to accompany the bill said in part, "Medical research suggests that marijuana may alleviate pain or other symptoms associated with certain debilitating medical conditions...Changing state law would therefore provide legal protection to the vast majority of seriously ill people who use marijuana medically. Thirteen other states permit the use of marijuana for medical purposes, and with this bill, New Jersey would join the effort to protect patients using marijuana to alleviate suffering from arrest, prosecution, and other legal sanctions."

National: Senators Urge Paid Sick Days to Help Working Families

Senators Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA) and Christopher Dodd (D-CT) have announced the introduction of the "Healthy Families Act," which would enable workers to earn paid sick days to care for themselves and their families without risk of losing their jobs. The Act was announced in a press release on Senator Dodd's web site. According to the press release, nearly half of today's private sector workers do not have a single paid sick day, including 79% of low-wage workers.

The legislation will enable workers to earn one hour of paid sick time for every 30 hours worked, up to 56 hours (seven days) in a year. The workers will be able to use the saved time to care for self or family, receive preventive or diagnostic treatment, or seek help if they are a victim of domestic violence. Small employers with fewer than 15 employees are exempt from the Act, and employers that already provide such leave will not have to change their current policies, so long as existing leave can be used for the same purposes described in the Act. Employers can require workers to provide documentation supporting any request for leave longer than three consecutive days.

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