- nj.com/news/index.ssf/2011/09/nj_marijuana_center_official_b.html
- nj.com/news/index.ssf/2011/10/vetting_of_pot_dispensary_seem.html
- nj.com/news/index.ssf/2011/11/crop_of_problems_keeps_nj_medi.html
- nj.com/news/index.ssf/2011/12/upper_freehold_prepares_for_sh.html
Provide names of other journalists involved.
I held the sole byline on all clips. Staff writer Susan K. Livio had contributing lines on several stories.
List date(s) this work was published or aired.
My reporting on medical marijuana developed into an investigative series for The Star-Ledger. Key stories in this series were published on the following dates: Sep 18, 2011 Oct 23, 2011 Nov 16, 2011 Dec 15, 2011
Provide a brief synopsis of the story or stories, including any significant findings.
The state’s medical marijuana program was passed into law nearly two years ago by outgoing Gov. Jon Corzine but has remained largely idle since then. Curious about the program’s long delay, I started to make some inquiries about the six centers that had been approved to grow and dispense marijuana in New Jersey. Since the first inquiries, The Star-Ledger has published a series of stories about the extensive problems plaguing the state’s medical marijuana program. Among the key findings: – Ken Cayre, an influential Monmouth County multimillionaire, was involved with one of the medical marijuana centers as a landlord, medical board member and a beneficiary through his charity. Cayre is accused of knowingly profiting from the massive Ponzi scheme run by Solomon Dwek, the state’s most famous conman and star informant in a huge corruption sting. Dwek also happens to call Cayre by the moniker “Uncle Kenny,” and in federal bankruptcy papers, Dwek has accused Cayre of teaching him how to launder money through charities. As the Star-Ledger was preparing to go to print, the center stripped Cayre of any involvement with the dispensary. – Another story in the series focused on another center, Foundation Harmony. A Star-Ledger review of the application found a number of curious assertions, including that one of the center’s employees had a higher education diploma from “Cannabis College of Amsterdam.” The “college” is actually a colorful website where you can take a 20-question quiz and, with a passing score, “print your own diploma.” The warning signs didn’t end there. The review found officials with past bankruptcy filings, a medical director with a history of being accused of insurance fraud and a strong relationship with a troubled pot school outlawed in Colorado. – The program was in a general state of disarray, with only one center having found a location to operate. Additionally, I found that four appeals had been filed challenging the results of the selection process, including one appeal filed by former TV host Montel Williams. As the delays mounted, I found there was a growing problem across the state — towns that were determined to stop the centers from opening. One story focused on a small, rural community that proposed a unique ordinance to block a planned growing facility.
Explain types of documents, data or Internet resources used. Were FOI or public records act requests required? How did this affect the work?
I filed several New Jersey Open Public Records Act requests during this series. These requests produced the applications for all of the dispensaries submitted to the state health department. I then reviewed the applications, which served as the basis of the reporting. Additionally, I made requests for emails and calendars related to the medical marijuana program. The requests shed light on some of the extensive delays in implementing the program. Also, I found that Foundation Harmony, one of the pot centers, had somehow achieved 501(c)3 status as a federally-recognized charity, despite the fact that marijuana is a federally illegal drug and that no known medical marijuana dispensary in the nation has ever achieved that status. A public records request made to the IRS produced documents that showed the center claimed it was a Ukrainian-American cultural/educational center when it filed for 501(c)3 status.
Explain types of human sources used.
I spoke with health department officials, patients, pot center representatives, attorneys, investors, lawmakers and both advocates and critics of medical marijuana.
Results:
After the first story, the state health department revealed that the background check process had not actually been done for the six selected centers. Furthermore, the state claimed that the six centers, which had been heralded as the “winning” applicants, had never actually been awarded permits. Rather, officials said the centers had been preliminarily approved but would not be awarded permits until appropriate vetting was done. Additionally, state lawmakers called for increased vetting efforts and increased speed in getting the program launched. Amid continued reporting about the struggles of the state’s medical marijuana program, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie appointed a retired state trooper to take over the struggling program in December. Once the new state trooper took over, the health department implemented a new background check process for the dispensaries that included an 80-plus page form.
Follow-up (if any). Have you run a correction or clarification on the report or has anyone come forward to challenge its accuracy? If so, please explain.
There have been no corrections, clarifications or any challenges to the accuracy of the stories. I continue to report on medical marijuana in New Jersey. In 2012, I published an additional story about the two year anniversary of the medical marijuana law. The story focused on the costs that centers are paying while the state has yet to give them a permit to operate. As the “not in our town” attitude is spreading across the state, dispensary officials for the first time spoke out aggressively against state officials for failing to help them. As the frustration grows, two center officials recently told me they were prepared to file lawsuits.
Advice to other journalists planning a similar story or project.
Don’t ever assume that claims in documents have actually been read and vetted. As I read through the applications, I was stunned. I question if anyone in government actually read the applications and fact-checked them. Read everything with fresh eyes.