Will smoking weed soon be legal (for medicinal purposes only, of course) in the Garden State?
New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine sure hopes so and he isn't alone.
On Monday the New Jersey State Senate passed the "New Jersey Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Act" by a 22-16 vote.
The bill proposed by Sen. Nicholas Scutari (D-Union) would permit terminally and chronically ill patients to get permission to grow, possess and smoke weed.
In total patients could possess up to six plants and one ounce of weed, according to the bill.
Corzine (who, by the way, is running for reelection) told New York radio host Brian Lehrer that he would "absolutely" sign the medical marijuana bill if it made its way to his desk.
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The bill could be structured to allow patients safeguards and prevent abuses, said Corzine.
The bill specifically targets patients suffering from debilitating symptoms including cancer, glaucoma, HIV/AIDS and other chronic illnesses that cause "wasting syndrome, severe or chronic pain, seizures and severe and persistent muscle spasms."
Before the bill ever reaches Corzine's desk it must first go through the State Assembly where it faces an uncertain fate.
In total, 13 states have some sort of medical marijuana measures.
For now, smoking up remains illegal for everyone in the Garden State.
