A New Jersey administrative law judge promulgated a decision that could set the precedent for insurance coverage for medical marijuana in the state.
Judge Ingrid L. French ruled in favor of Egg Harbor Township resident Andrew Watson who sought reimbursement for marijuana he purchased from a dispensary for three months in an Atlantic County Township.
According to local media outlet
philly.com, the ruling was based on testimony from Watson and a Cherry Hill neuro-psychiatrist who argued that marijuana treatment was appropriate for the patient since it would reduce his use of opiate prescription and reduce the risk of serious side effects.
Watson suffers from neuropathic pain as a result of an accident while he was using a power saw in an 84 Lumber outlet in 2008.
Judge French said in her opinion, “the evidence presented in these proceedings show that the petitioner’s ‘trial’ use of medicinal marijuana has been successful. While the court is sensitive to the controversy surrounding the medicinal use of marijuana, whether or not it should be prescribed for a patient in a state where it is legal to prescribe it is a medical decision that is within the boundaries of the laws in the state.”
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