New Jersey Assembly Passes Bill to Add PTSD as Qualifying Medical Cannabis Condition
(Photo: mychronicrelief.com)
New Jersey’s full Assembly has voted 55 to 14 to pass legislation that would add post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a qualifying medical cannabis condition. Assembly Bill 457 now heads towards a vote in the Senate, where its passage will send it to Governor Chris Christie for consideration.
If passed into law, AB 457 would allow those with PTSD to purchase, possess and use medical cannabis, given they receive a recommendation from a physician. The measure is similar to Assembly Bill 3726, which was passed by New Jersey’s full Assembly last year with a 53 to 13 vote, but failed to advance in the Senate.
If the bill is passed into law, New Jersey would join Michigan, California, Illinois, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, New Mexico, Arizona, Washington and Oregon as states that recognize PTSD as a qualifying condition for the use of medical cannabis.
According to the National Institute of Health, PTSD affects about 7.7 million people.