A Medford man who suffers from two debilitating health conditions sued New Jersey officials on Wednesday, charging that they have deliberately created delays in implementing the state's medical marijuana program.
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Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Marijuana Protest In San Francisco: Activists Ask U.S. To End Crackdown
The fight for Medical Marijuana in California continues
Via Huffington Post
Full Story Here
Via Huffington Post
SAN FRANCISCO -- Hundreds of medical marijuana activists gathered on the steps of City Hall Tuesday to support California's multi-million dollar cannabis industry, under siege since the federal government launched an aggressive crackdown last fall.
A handful of local legislators and cannabis patients addressed the heated crowd before marching down the street to the federal courthouse to address U.S. Attorney Melinda Haag, who has championed anti-marijuana actions in the Bay Area.
Full Story Here
Sunday, March 18, 2012
In medical marijuana cases, injustice prevails
In medical marijuana cases, injustice prevails
http://www.nj.com/times-opinion/index.ssf/2012/03/times_of_trenton_letters_to_th_282.html
http://www.nj.com/times-opinion/index.ssf/2012/03/times_of_trenton_letters_to_th_282.html
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Patients, Not Criminals
CALL MONMOUTH COUNTY PROSECUTOR PETER WARSHAW AT (732) 431-7160 EXTENSION 7522 AND TELL HIM TO DROP THE CHARGES AGAINST PTSD MEDICAL MARIJUANA PATIENT ERIC HAFNER IN MIDDLETOWN MUNICIPAL COURT. TELL HIM THAT ERIC HAFNER IS A PATIENT, NOT A CRIMINAL.
(CALL ONCE A DAY IF POSSIBLE)
(CALL ONCE A DAY IF POSSIBLE)
Monday, March 12, 2012
On the air
Monmouth Patients Group President, Charles Kwiatkowski was on the radio again today on NJ 101.5. Visit http://www.nj1015.com to stay up to date!
Monday, March 5, 2012
Rally in Middletown Township
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Contact:
Charles Kwiatkowski, President & MS Patient
Monmouth Patients Group
732-500-1692
Rally being held to support Medical Cannabis Patient being unjustly prosecuted
MIDDLETOWN, NJ — The Monmouth Patients Group, a civil rights organization that advocates on behalf of Medical Cannabis Patients in Monmouth County will be holding a rally against the unjust prosecution of PTSD Patient, Eric Hafner outside the Middletown Municipal Court located at 1 Kings Hwy, Middletown at 8am on Monday, March 12th 2012. The rally will go until 8:30am when court goes into session and supporters will join Mr. Hafner in the courtroom.
In late November, Mr. Hafner was charged with Possession of Marijuana under 50 grams (lowest personal possession charge) and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia (Medical Marijuana Pipe) a traffic stop in which he was a passenger.
Mr. Hafner suffers from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a severe psychiatric disorder that can develop after exposure to an event that results in psychological trauma. This event may involve the threat of death to oneself or to someone else, or to one's own or someone else's physical, sexual, or psychological integrity, overwhelming the individual's ability to cope. Patients suffering from PTSD have a highly increased risk of suicide.
While Medical Marijuana has been legal in New Jersey since 2010, the state government has failed to get the program up and running. As a result, no patients have been given the safe, legal access to their medicine as intended by the legislature and patients continue to be arrested as the state has not yet issued a single ID card to allow patients to demonstrate their medical status to law enforcement.
Under the law, 8 illnesses were initially listed as qualifying conditions with the Department of Health and Senior Services being given the power to add additional illnesses at anytime. Unfortunately, the administrative regulations (written by the department, not a part of the actual law) arbitrarily require that patients wait 2 years prior to being able to file a petition with the department to cover an additional illness despite the fact patients are sick now, not 2 years from now.
While New Jersey did not specifically list PTSD under the initial law, Delaware was sure to do so in their law (passed right after and modeled on NJ's law) and New Mexico added PTSD to their list of qualifying conditions after a panel of medical experts reviewed a petition filed with the New Mexico Dept. of Health and determined that Medical Marijuana is an effective treatment for PTSD.
After his arrest in New Jersey, Mr. Hafner moved to Los Angeles, California and is recognized by the State of California as a legal Medical Marijuana Patient as per the recommendation of his doctor.
The Monmouth Patients group is demanding that the charges against Mr. Hafner be dropped, that his medicine be returned to him and that the State of New Jersey stops arresting Maedical Marijuana Patients. A recent Rutgers-Eagleton Poll (Nov 2011) found that 86% of New Jersey voters support legal Medical Marijuana.
Contact:
Charles Kwiatkowski, President & MS Patient
Monmouth Patients Group
732-500-1692
Rally being held to support Medical Cannabis Patient being unjustly prosecuted
MIDDLETOWN, NJ — The Monmouth Patients Group, a civil rights organization that advocates on behalf of Medical Cannabis Patients in Monmouth County will be holding a rally against the unjust prosecution of PTSD Patient, Eric Hafner outside the Middletown Municipal Court located at 1 Kings Hwy, Middletown at 8am on Monday, March 12th 2012. The rally will go until 8:30am when court goes into session and supporters will join Mr. Hafner in the courtroom.
In late November, Mr. Hafner was charged with Possession of Marijuana under 50 grams (lowest personal possession charge) and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia (Medical Marijuana Pipe) a traffic stop in which he was a passenger.
Mr. Hafner suffers from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a severe psychiatric disorder that can develop after exposure to an event that results in psychological trauma. This event may involve the threat of death to oneself or to someone else, or to one's own or someone else's physical, sexual, or psychological integrity, overwhelming the individual's ability to cope. Patients suffering from PTSD have a highly increased risk of suicide.
While Medical Marijuana has been legal in New Jersey since 2010, the state government has failed to get the program up and running. As a result, no patients have been given the safe, legal access to their medicine as intended by the legislature and patients continue to be arrested as the state has not yet issued a single ID card to allow patients to demonstrate their medical status to law enforcement.
Under the law, 8 illnesses were initially listed as qualifying conditions with the Department of Health and Senior Services being given the power to add additional illnesses at anytime. Unfortunately, the administrative regulations (written by the department, not a part of the actual law) arbitrarily require that patients wait 2 years prior to being able to file a petition with the department to cover an additional illness despite the fact patients are sick now, not 2 years from now.
While New Jersey did not specifically list PTSD under the initial law, Delaware was sure to do so in their law (passed right after and modeled on NJ's law) and New Mexico added PTSD to their list of qualifying conditions after a panel of medical experts reviewed a petition filed with the New Mexico Dept. of Health and determined that Medical Marijuana is an effective treatment for PTSD.
After his arrest in New Jersey, Mr. Hafner moved to Los Angeles, California and is recognized by the State of California as a legal Medical Marijuana Patient as per the recommendation of his doctor.
The Monmouth Patients group is demanding that the charges against Mr. Hafner be dropped, that his medicine be returned to him and that the State of New Jersey stops arresting Maedical Marijuana Patients. A recent Rutgers-Eagleton Poll (Nov 2011) found that 86% of New Jersey voters support legal Medical Marijuana.
# # #
Monday, February 27, 2012
Rally for Patient
COURTHOUSE RALLY FOR MEDICAL MARIJUANA PATIENT FACING A YEAR IN JAIL
MIDDLETOWN TWP MUNICIPAL COURT, MONDAY MARCH 12, 2012 AT 8:00AM
WHO
Eric Hafner, a Monmouth County native now residing in Los Angeles, California
who suffers from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) uses Medical Marijuana
(recommended by his doctor) to treat the symptoms of his illness after
traditional prescription medication failed.
WHAT
Mr. Hafner was arrested in late November 2011 in Middletown Township,
New
Jersey on Charges of Possession of Marijuana under 50 grams (Lowest Level
Personal Possession Charge) and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia (Medical
Marijuana Pipe) by the Middletown Township Police Department after a traffic
stop in which he was a passenger. Mr. Hafner is now facing up to a year in jail,
a criminal record and over a thousand dollars in fines for simply using his
medicine.
WHERE
Middletown Township Municipal Court, 1 Kings Hwy, Middletown Township,
New
Jersey 07748.
WHEN
The rally begins Monday, March 12 at 8:00am outside the Municipal Court.
Supporters will gather outside the court with paper signs and then move to
inside the Courtroom when it goes into session and begins hearing cases at
8:30am to show their support for Mr. Hafner.
WHY
New Jersey legalized Medical Marijuana in 2010, yet over 2 years later the
Department of Health and Senior Services has failed to implement the law. A
recent Rutgers-Eagleton Poll (Nov 11) found that 86% of New Jersey voters
support legal Medical Marijuana.
The people of New Jersey are vehemently opposed to this unjust prosecution being
undertaken in their name and demand the charges against Mr. Hafner be dropped
without delay.
MIDDLETOWN TWP MUNICIPAL COURT, MONDAY MARCH 12, 2012 AT 8:00AM
WHO
Eric Hafner, a Monmouth County native now residing in Los Angeles, California
who suffers from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) uses Medical Marijuana
(recommended by his doctor) to treat the symptoms of his illness after
traditional prescription medication failed.
WHAT
Mr. Hafner was arrested in late November 2011 in Middletown Township,
New
Jersey on Charges of Possession of Marijuana under 50 grams (Lowest Level
Personal Possession Charge) and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia (Medical
Marijuana Pipe) by the Middletown Township Police Department after a traffic
stop in which he was a passenger. Mr. Hafner is now facing up to a year in jail,
a criminal record and over a thousand dollars in fines for simply using his
medicine.
WHERE
Middletown Township Municipal Court, 1 Kings Hwy, Middletown Township,
New
Jersey 07748.
WHEN
The rally begins Monday, March 12 at 8:00am outside the Municipal Court.
Supporters will gather outside the court with paper signs and then move to
inside the Courtroom when it goes into session and begins hearing cases at
8:30am to show their support for Mr. Hafner.
WHY
New Jersey legalized Medical Marijuana in 2010, yet over 2 years later the
Department of Health and Senior Services has failed to implement the law. A
recent Rutgers-Eagleton Poll (Nov 11) found that 86% of New Jersey voters
support legal Medical Marijuana.
The people of New Jersey are vehemently opposed to this unjust prosecution being
undertaken in their name and demand the charges against Mr. Hafner be dropped
without delay.
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