TRENTON — Doctors who recommend their sickest patients use marijuana to alleviate their suffering must "make reasonable efforts" at least every three months to wean their patients off the drug, according to the latest rules Gov. Chris Christie's administration has proposed to implement the controversial law next year.

The routine evaluations are necessary to ensure patients are not becoming addicts, and the drug is actually easing their discomfort, according to proposed medical marijuana program rules for doctors the state Attorney General’s Office made public today.

One of the law’s sponsors and a lobbyist for the medicinal marijuana program expressed surprise and disappointment with the proposal, calling it the latest assault on the law Christie inherited when he took office in January.

Assemblyman Reed Gusciora (D-Mercer) and Sen. Nicholas Scutari (D-Union) have sponsored a resolution awaiting a floor vote that would repeal the medical marijuana program rules as written by the Department of Health and Senior Services. They claim the rules — which include stricter limits on the drug’s potency and how many may outlets shall grow and sell it — would make it too restrictive to benefit those who really need it.

Scutari said he would consider moving to repeal these rules too. He said he expected doctors would be monitoring their patients’ marijuana use, but didn’t want them to discourage its use at every opportunity.

"It should be treated like every other medicine,’’ Scutari said. "I did not envision doctors would have to be told to stop writing prescriptions. They know how to treat their patients."

RELATED VIDEOS

Medical marijuana's future in New Jersey





Roseanne Scotti of the Drug Policy Alliance of New Jersey said she believes the Christie administration seems is "bogging down the law with so many completely unnecessary and outrageous regulations, it won’t be workable."

"I don’t know of any other medication where a doctor is required to wean patients off. There are many other drugs that have such a higher potential for abuse and addiction," Scotti said.

Jeff Lamm, a spokesman for the Division of Consumer Affairs in the Attorney General’s Office, declined comment.

Health Commissioner Poonam Alaigh has defended the strict rules to guard against the state from becoming too lax, like California and Colorado. The program is designed "to ensure that a physician has an ongoing relationship with a patient and that medicinal marijuana is only available to those patients who truly need it."

New Mexico, whose law and rules were used by lawmakers and the Christie administration as a model for New Jersey, takes a much more hands-off approach with its physicians, according to New Mexico health department spokesman Chris Minnick.

"There aren’t any regulations that talk about follow up with a patient," Minnick said. "Every year people need to reapply for license, so they would have to get certification’’ from their doctor each time. "That would be the extent of it.’’

As of late today, 56 doctors have signed up to recommend patients into the program, health department spokeswoman Donna Leusner said.

Previous coverage:

• Complete coverage of the New Jersey medical marijuana legislation

• N.J. Senate, Assembly committees approve repealing medical marijuana rules

• N.J. Assembly to consider resolution to force change of medical marijuana rules

• N.J. physicians required to 'educate' patients enrolling in medical marijuana program

• Gov. Christie, N.J. Sen. Scutari spar over medical marijuana rules

• N.J. Sen. Scutari plans to repeal Gov. Christie's rules on medical marijuana