Rutgers declines request to grow medical marijuana

Rutgers University is rejecting a request from the Christie Administration to be the only grower of medical marijuana in New Jersey.

The dean of the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences at Rutgers says there's no way for the University to be involved in the marijuana program without violating national drug laws that would jeopardize hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding.

Assemblyman Reed Gusciora, the primary Assembly sponsor of the medical marijuana bill, says he's disappointed with Rutgers' decision.

"The school could have benefited from patents on new strains of marijuana and helping students in new pain management techniques studying those," he said. "It's just a shame that Rutgers has decided to take this narrow view of the status of the law."

Gusciora says plans will now proceed for six non-profit alternative treatment centers to grow and dispense the medicinal marijuana as specified in legislation approved early this year. The Coalition for Medical Marijuana in New Jersey says potential operators of those centers are ready to go so qualified patients will be able to get marijuana legally by early January.