Opioid treatment now eligible for medical marijuana in New Jersey

CAMDEN, N.J. (AP) - Gov. Phil Murphy says his administration is adding opioid addiction to the list of eligible illnesses in New Jersey's medical marijuana program.

Murphy announced the change Wednesday at Cooper University Hospital along with other steps aimed at fighting the state's opioid epidemic.

Murphy also said the state would be removing a requirement that makes it harder for opioid addicts on Medicaid to get treatments involving medication. The Democratic governor says the state is doing away with the so-called Medicaid prior-authorization requirement.

He also said Medicaid would be building opioid treatment centers in Camden at Cooper and in Newark at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School.

Murphy says New Jersey had more than 3,000 overdose deaths in 2018. That's up from more than 2,700 in 2017.