Opinion: New Jersey should make patients a priority by issuing more medical marijuana permits

As a cancer survivor with multiple sclerosis, I have seen many symptoms over the years that medical marijuana would have changed the quality of my life so much. However, since there is no local pharmacy where the product is conveniently available, the lack of access and cost has been a major obstacle to my relief.

Unfortunately, I’m not the only patient in New Jersey with this problem. There are over 110,000 registered medical marijuana patients in the state, but only 14 pharmacies that supply them. This is just not enough and the reason New Jersey’s medical marijuana is not only difficult to access, but also the most expensive in the country. And now I worry that patients will be completely overlooked with the state focused on establishing the adult recreational market.

The truth is, unless New Jersey stops issuing medical marijuana permits, patients will face even longer waiting times and delivery bottlenecks when adult sales begin later this year. I know this because that’s exactly what happened to patients in other states who started selling adult marijuana with so few medical dispensaries.

New Jersey can’t let this happen to patients here. The state should now issue more medical marijuana permits and give patients a higher priority.

Carol Martin
Ewing parish