Pubdate: Thu, 22 Aug 2013 Source: Philadelphia Inquirer, The (PA) Copyright: 2013 Philadelphia Newspapers Inc Contact: http://www.philly.com/inquirer/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/340 Author: Jan Hefler WHY CAN'T SICK OLDER PATIENTS HAVE MARIJUANA BROWNIES TOO? BURLCO BUZZ - New Jersey Assemblyman Reed Gusciora, one of the prime sponsors of the state's three-year-old medical marijuana law, is puzzled by Gov. Christie's veto of a bill that would remove hurdles that keep seriously ill children from using cannabis. The veto was conditional, meaning Christie is demanding changes before he will sign the bill. The bill was passed after Brian and Meghan Wilson told lawmakers their 2-year-old girl needs cannabis because it has the potential to stop her frequent, life-threatening seizures. The Scotch Plains couple urged amendments to the law, which they said was flawed. A big problem was the ban against edible marijuana. Their daughter, Vivian, cannot smoke and requires a solution that may be added to butter, they said. The bill would have lifted the restriction for all registered marijuana patients but Christie wants edible marijuana to be available only to minors. "What about a 70-year-old woman who has emphysema?" Gusciora (D., Mercer) said in an interview. "What is the harm if elderly patients take it in a brownie?" Christie says he wants to make sure marijuana is restricted to only severely ill patients and wants to take safeguards so it is not abused by people "with a migraine." He favors strict regulations, he says, so "potheads" don't get their hands on the drug. Christie is considered a 2016 Republican presidential contender and will need to address the concerns of those who oppose any legalization of marijuana. "He wants to show he's conservative, but this defies logic," Gusciora says. On Monday, the state Senate voted, 34-1, in favor of all of Christie's changes. The ball is now in the Assembly's court. No date has been set for the vote in the lower house. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom