New Jersey Governor OKs State Medical Marijuana Program

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has given approval to the state’s medical marijuana program. He says he believes the state’s narrowly focused program will not be subject to federal prosecution.

The state’s six approved medical marijuana dispensaries could be up and running by the end of 2011, according to The Wall Street Journal. The program serves patients with certain severe medical conditions, such as terminal cancer or multiple sclerosis. Patients can only receive a two-ounce supply every 30 days, and the active ingredient, THC, is limited to no more than 10 percent.

In June, Gov. Christie said he would not proceed until he was assured that the federal government would not prosecute people carrying out the program. At the end of June, the Justice Department issued a memo saying that law enforcement would not concentrate its enforcement efforts on small, narrowly focused state programs.

The New Jersey governor said while the memo did not directly address the state’s program, he believes the federal government was sending the state a signal.