N.J. Gov. Chris Christie agreed Friday to ease access to medical marijuana for chronically ill children. The governor offered provisions to a bill allowing marijuana cultivators to produce more than three strains of the drug and for state-approved dispensaries to sell ingestible forms of pot for children to consume.

According to Christie's tweaks in the bill:

"Qualified minors should be allowed access to products in appropriate edible forms to ensure that children can receive treatments consistent with their age and medical needs, as well as the individual preferences of their guardians.



As I have repeatedly noted, I believe that parents, and not government regulators, are best suited to decide how to care for their children."

He conditionally vetoed an existing bill, leaving one provision which requires referrals from a pediatrician as well as from a psychiatrist. A third doctor's approval is required if the pediatrician is unregistered with the medical marijuana program.