Sufferers of PTSD Gain Access to Medicinal Marijuana

On September 14, 2016, New Jersey amended its medicinal marijuana law to add post-traumatic stress disorder (‘PTSD’) as a qualifying condition, permitting PTSD sufferers to gain access to this unconventional therapy for the first time. Some background — In 2009, New Jersey became the 14th state to allow access to medicinal marijuana. Over the past seven years, 11 additional states have expanded their laws to allow access to medical marijuana. In New Jersey, the original law provided access to medical marijuana for the following conditions: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; Multiple sclerosis; Terminal cancer; Muscular dystrophy; Inflammatory bowel disease, including Crohn’s disease; Terminal illness, if the physician has determined a prognosis of less than 12 months of life; Seizure disorder, including epilepsy; Intractable skeletal muscular spasticity; Glaucoma; Positive status for human immunodeficiency virus; Acquired immune deficiency syndrome; and Cancer. Under the amended law signed by Governor Christie, a patient with PTSD would be eligible for medicinal marijuana if she has been unsuccessful alleviating her symptoms with conventional medical therapy. Additionally, the patient would have to obtain certification of her condition from a physician with whom she has a “bona fide physician-patient relationship.” Several other recent developments on this issue merit a brief review. In August 2016, the Department of Health (“DOH”) asked for public input on additional...