TRENTON — Kareen Giovane of Newton said she is a conservative Christian who voted for Gov. Chris Christie twice.

But her maternal instincts trumped politics today when she and her 23-year-old son, Pete, diagnosed with a severe seizure disorder, joined about two dozen activists outside the Statehouse to call attention to what they described as New Jersey’s flawed medical marijuana program. Protesters lamented that young children need an edible form of the drug but it’s not available yet, and there is no place for families to go to test the potency of their homemade oils.

Giovane said she’s seen the power of marijuana change her son’s life, and wanted others of all ages to benefit, too. It only took three days on cannabis before his seizures declined from 10 a day to two, Giovane said.

"It’s sad that people don’t realize what this medicine can do," she said. "If this was (Christie’s) child and there was no other way, he would try it."

The protest was organized by Jennie Stormes of Hope, who makes a cannabis-infused oil for her 15-year-old son, Jackson, a medical marijuana card holder diagnosed with a potentially fatal form of epilepsy known as Dravet syndrome. She vowed to stage a rally outside the capital every Thursday until the governor made the program less burdensome and exclusionary.

Stormes criticized the governor for saying there was nothing wrong with the program aside from there being little demand for it. Christie also said people who criticized the program were angling to legalize recreational marijuana.

"Our governor needs to meet with the families, patients, and caregivers in our state who need access to this program," Stormes said. "This is not your state or your program. It belongs to the citizens of the state of New Jersey."

Mike Ward, a registered patient from Elizabeth, participated in the small and peaceful protest by smoking from a bong on West State Street.

Shawnea Estrella of Franklin was there with her 21-year-old daughter Sara, who just became a registered patient this month because she has uncontrollable seizures. The butter Estrella makes for her daughter has already reduced the frequency of her seizures and improved her appetite.

Estrella said she doesn’t understand why the Christie administration will permit only minors to consume edibles. It’s a moot point now – none of the three dispensaries sell them yet, either because they have not applied to the state to do so or because like Garden State Dispensary in Woodbridge, the state is reviewing the application.

Garden State Dispensary’s application is still under review, health department spokeswoman Dawn Thomas said.

"I’ve given her every medication there is," Estrella said. "She’s had brain surgery. . .This is my last hope."

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