Proposed NJ bill could allow medical cannabis for sickle cell patients
TRENTON, N.J. (PIX11) — Anyone living with sickle cell anemia is a warrior, Leslie Davis-Primo will tell you.
'I've had three children, largely unassisted by medication -I didn't have any epidurals or whatever- and that's not to say that's a badge of honor, but I would gladly give birth to those three children back to back to back than to have a sickle cell crisis.'
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In the U.S., around 100,000 people have sickle cell, and it is most common among people of African descent.
A disorder affecting the shape of red blood cells, sickle cell patients endure excruciating pain.
Davis-Primo, of Somerset, has had it her whole life but didn't know until she had a crisis at age 23.
'The excruciating pain that you need oftentimes narcotic medication in the hospital or at home to take care of,' said Davis-Primo.
She is on a regiment of medications to treat her, but in New Jersey, there could one day be another approved option: medical cannabis. A bill in the State House would look to add the disease to the list of qualifying medical conditions.
'It's one of those diseases that is not recognized until we elevate it,' said Assemblywoman Verlina Reynolds-Jackson (D-NJ 15th District), the primary sponsor of the bill, which advanced through the Assembly Health Committee. 'It's under-researched, it's underfunded.'
Right now, in New Jersey, patients with conditions like cancer, ALS, PTSD, and many others are approved to use medical cannabis, but sickle cell is not yet on the list.
'Medical cannabis has been proven to help sickle cell anemia patients with this chronic pain that they have,' said Reynolds-Jackson. 'It's good for glaucoma, for other issues, it's even good for Crohn's disease, which I have.'
Should it be passed into law one day, Davis-Primo says she would consider taking advantage.
'That's the big thing for sickle cell nationwide and globally, really: access to care,' said Davis-Primo. 'This really, really makes me feel seen.'
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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