TRENTON — A New Jersey lawmaker is calling for legislative hearings on why it's taking so long for the state's medical marijuana program to get running.

Assemblyman Reed Gusciora, a Democrat from Trenton, called for hearings last week. He says the state's administration should explain the delays, but a schedule for his proposed hearings hasn't been announced.

The medical marijuana program has mostly been delayed because it took time for officials to adopt regulations and for the nonprofit marijuana dispensary operators to get permission to open from towns.

The state planned to have dispensaries open by July 2011. But the first one to operate legally now won't open until at least late August.

Gusciora said the delays have come at the expense of patients who could get some relief from using marijuana.

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