It’s been one month since the New Jersey legislature passed a bill to treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with medical marijuana, and patients who could benefit from the policy shift are still hanging in the balance. Gov. Chris Christie (R) has yet to approve or veto the bill, and his past reluctance to change marijuana rules doesn’t bode well for those who want to broaden the scope of medical treatment.

With Assembly Bill 457’s fate up in the air, close to 18,000 people have signed a petition circulated by The Joint Blog on Change.org, asking the governor to support the legislation. The petition points to studies published in two health journals, the American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy and Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, which concluded that cannabis produces medical benefits for patients with PTSD, including veterans.

To date, New Jersey’s Department of Health allows doctors to prescribe medical cannabis for 12 conditions, such as terminal cancer, seizure disorders, and multiple sclerosis. [Read More @ Think Progress]