New Jersey Governor Signs Law Expanding Medical Marijuana Program

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy signed legislation Tuesday that broadens the state’s medical marijuana program, making it easier for the terminally ill to use cannabis, among other changes.

The law, the Jake Honig Compassionate Use Medical Cannabis Act, was named after Jake Honig, a Howell, N.J. boy who died at age 7 after battling brain cancer.

Honig’s parents had said cannabis was the best way to treat the boy’s pain, but the amount they could give him was limited by the state’s medical marijuana law, leading them to have to use opioids as well.

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New Jersey lawmakers this year considered legalizing the non-medical use of cannabis, but couldn’t get a bill passed. The Democratic-led legislature instead sent Murphy, also a Democrat, the bill expanding the medical marijuana program.

The measure also allows physician assistants and some advanced practice nurses to authorize the use of cannabis for medical patients. The previous law only allowed doctors to prescribe its use.

Thirty-three states and the District of Columbia have legalized either medical or recreational use of cannabis in some form. Illinois was the most recent to legalize non-medical adult use of marijuana when it became the 11th state to do so in May.

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