Statewide Laws Sought on Post-Concussion Treatment for High School Athletes
Kurt Samson
The need for state laws addressing concussions in high school athletes received prime-time exposure during the 2010 Super Bowl, with the launch of a new organization dedicated to speeding state legislation to prevent injured players from returning to the field before they have been examined and cleared by a medical professional. Continue Reading
Medical Marijuana Now Legal in New Jersey: What Does It Mean for Neurology?
Kierstin Wesolowski
New Jersey became the 14th state to legalize medical marijuana on Jan. 18, when Gov. Jon S. Corzine, on his last full day in office, signed the New Jersey Compassionate Medical Marijuana Act into law. The new law is the most restrictive in the nation.
The law allows physicians to prescribe medical marijuana for patients with such chronic diseases as HIV/AIDS, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), cancer, glaucoma, and muscular dystrophy, and symptoms such as chronic wasting and persistent muscle spasms. State-monitored dispensaries will grow and distribute the marijuana, and patients with state-issued identification cards can obtain the marijuana from one of six locations. The identification cards will be distributed by the Department of Health and Senior Service.
But unlike the 13 other states that have legalized medical marijuana – Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington – the New Jersey law will not allow prescriptions for chronic, severe pain and anxiety. Continue Reading