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NEW NEWS out of NJ in concern of the herb!!!!!! "Assembly votes to rebuke Christie over medical marijuana."

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) -- The New Jersey Assembly is rebuking the Christie administration's handling of the state's medical marijuana program.

Lawmakers voted Thursday to approve a resolution that says Gov. Chris Christie's Health Department has placed "arbitrary and unnecessary" restrictions on the program.

The vote comes a day after Christie criticized the notion of legalizing marijuana in order to gain a tax windfall, calling it "blood money."

Here's a closer look at New Jersey's medical marijuana program and the measure lawmakers approved:

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HOW DOES THE RESOLUTION WORK?

The measure says that 10 regulations enacted by the state Department of Health are contrary to the Legislature's intent when it passed the Compassionate Use of Medical Marijuana Act of 2009, shortly before Christie took office. Those regulations include the requirement that doctors who prescribe medical marijuana enroll in a public database, which lawmakers say discourages physicians. They also include the prohibition of edible marijuana as well as the delivery of the drug to homes.

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WOULDN'T CHRISTIE LIKELY VETO THIS?

He won't get the chance. That's because this is a concurrent resolution, which means the measure isn't a regular bill. If both the Assembly and Senate pass the measure, the Health Department has 30 days to align its regulations with the resolution. If the department does not, the Legislature could pass the resolution a second time, which would then force the change of the regulations.

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HOW DOES THE MEDICAL MARIJUANA PROGRAM IN NEW JERSEY WORK?

Patients and doctors must register with the state and pay a $200 fee apiece. Only patients suffering from one of six conditions, including terminal cancer, multiple sclerosis and muscular dystrophy, may apply. Currently, there are only three dispensaries open in the state, in Woodbridge, Egg Harbor Township and Montclair. There are about 2,000 registered patients, but Democratic Assemblyman Tim Eustace, who sponsored the resolution, estimates between 500 and 1,000 people are using the program.

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ARE THERE ANY OTHER PROPOSALS TO CHANGE THE PROGRAM?

Yes. Democrats who control the Assembly also approved two additional marijuana bills. One adds post-traumatic stress disorder to the list of authorized medical conditions for the drug. The other authorizes treatment facilities to transfer medical marijuana in order to meet demand. Eustace said the second bill was needed because the state's three facilities exhaust their marijuana supply and cannot acquire more from one of the other centers. The bill is aimed at easing that problem.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/assembly-votes-rebuke-christie-over-205009993.html