"Marijuana is Medicine" Premiere at Trenton Film Festival

The documentary "Marijuana is Medicine" will be shown as part of the Trenton Area Filmmakers Showcase. Please save the date and attend the festival to see the world premiere of the first film produced by the Coalition for Medical Marijuana--New Jersey, Inc. (CMM-NJ). Copies of the film are now available on DVD for $15 each at CMM-NJ's corporate headquarters, located at 844 Spruce St., Trenton, NJ 08648. "Marijuana is Medicine," a 26-minute documentary film, was recorded in New Jersey. It tells the personal stories of health care professionals and patients struggling to cope with serious illnesses and outdated drug laws. This film is the result of efforts by many committed volunteers including participants Dr. Howard Swidler, Professor Mitch Brodski, John Anderson, RN, Denise Clement, and Peter Rosenfeld. It is dedicated to the memory of New Jersey medical marijuana patients Cheryl Miller and Sean McGrath, who died before they could ever legally use medical marijuana in this state. This film was produced by the Coalition for Medical Marijuana-New Jersey, Inc. (CMM-NJ) in 2006. Jim Incollingo directed the film. It was financed by donations to CMM-NJ. CMM-NJ is a non-profit, educational organization whose mission is to bring about safe and legal access to marijuana for New Jersey patients who are under the care of licensed physicians. CMM-NJ believes that no one should suffer needlessly, and no one should be imprisoned for following the advice of a doctor. CMM-NJ has monthly public meetings are held on the second Tuesday of each month at the Lawrence Twp. (Mercer County) Library, from 7:00 PM until 9:00 PM. All are welcome. Light refreshments are served. Inspiration for film: CMM-NJ wanted to show the faces and tell the stories of medical marijuana users in New Jersey. In the course of working to bring about safe and legal access to medical marijuana for New Jersey patients under a doctor's supervision, it became clear that many people have a poor understanding of the issue, and particularly of the people directly involved. While there are many good sources of information on medical marijuana (both written and video), we wanted to provide a platform for local healthcare professionals and patients to tell their stories in their own words. Instead of activists, reporters or professional researchers talking about medical marijuana, "Marijuana is Medicine" features people struggling directly with serious healthcare problems while being saddled with needless legal obstacles to getting the medicine that their doctors have recommended. It was our hope that showing actual New Jerseyans and their real experiences with this issue would help to dispel the m any myths and misperceptions that have prevented meaningful reform. While the video was targeted at policy makers in Trenton, it provides a valuable insight to anyone interested in this important topic. We dedicated this film to Cheryl Miller and Sean McGrath, two New Jersey patients who died before they could ever legally use medical marijuana in their home state.