SENATE COMMITTEE TAKES UP MEDICAL MARIJUANA

TRENTON -- TV personality Montel Williams, who says he daily breaks
the law by medicating himself with marijuana, presaged emotionally
charged testimony expected today when New Jersey, for the first time,
considers allowing prescribed pot.

"I break the law every day. I will continue to break the law every
day," a sometimes teary Williams told reporters at a Statehouse news
conference where the Drug Policy Alliance New Jersey -- which
supports medical marijuana -- issued results of a poll it
commissioned which showed support for their positions.

Today the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee
will hear testimony, but not vote, on a proposal to allow seriously
ill patients to possess one ounce of marijuana and six marijuana
plants, if their doctor recommends it. The state would oversee the
program and issue registration cards. In the poll, provided those
specific descriptions of the rules, 71 percent of registered voters approved.

One sponsor is Sen. Nicholas Scutari, D-Union, who is a onetime
prosecutor. "These people are not a threat to society," he said of
the ill who seek salves for their pain. "We owe it to them to adopt a
policy that places a premium on compassion and relief."

The Assembly version is jointly sponsored by two of the more liberal
and more conservative lawmakers. Assemblyman Michael Carroll,
R-Morris, usually stands spheres to the right of Assemblyman Reed
Gusciora, D-Mercer, but not on this issue.

"There is no such thing as an evil plant," Carroll says, noting
medicines have always come from plants and that a decision to
prescribe should be made by a doctor.

"It does not make sense for many of New Jersey's citizens to suffer
when there is a viable way to ease their pain," Gusciora said.

Scutari said he felt the intent of the law was being trivialized by
critics who suggested backers hoped to legalize recreational
marijuana through a "back door." "Let's open a dialogue," Scutari said.

"The governor says that he will sign the bill, if it gets to him," he added.

Williams fought back tears as he described how marijuana eases
night-and-day pain caused by multiple sclerosis, which the
49-year-old said was diagnosed with years ago.

Williams said he is a registered medical marijuana user in
California. Ten other states allow similar prescription use.

Rating constant pain on a scale of 10, Williams said going
marijuana-free leaves him suffering at level of six or seven, but
with marijuana, he eases back to about four.

Glaucoma, some cancers, wasting syndromes, chronic unexplained pain
and nagging muscle spasms have been said to be aided my properties in
marijuana.

Backers and opponents presented conflicting polls on whether people
in this state would OK use of marijuana as a medicine.

The Drug-Free Schools Coalition will also testify today. It followed
Williams' appearance at the Statehouse Wednesday to point to poll
results that conflicted with those from the Drug Policy Alliance and
showed public support for the idea waning.

"Marijuana is intoxicating. There's no surprise that sincere people
report feeling better after taking it. They may be feeling better,
but they're not getting better," said Catharina Evans, whose father
is a cancer survivor.

Evans acknowledged, in response to a question, that there are a
number of drugs prescribed as painkillers that don't cure illnesses.