New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has asked for changes in a medical marijuana bill to to ease access to the drug for ill children, reports the Los Angeles Times. He signaled he would sign the bill if the legislature stipulated that edible forms of marijuana would be available only to qualified minors and that a pediatrician and psychiatrist had to approve a child’s prescription.
Christie agreed to allow sick children access to forms of pot that can be eaten. The move is backed by parents worried that the dry-leaf and lozenge forms of the drug pose health concerns. He supported removing a limit on the number of marijuana strains that state dispensaries can provide. That would give patients a variety of marijuana strains to choose from; advocates say different strains carry different medicinal properties. Christie's decision came two days after he was confronted at a campaign stop by an epileptic girl's father, who says the new bill would help her get a version of medical marijuana she needs.