TRENTON, N.J. --

New Jersey's Democratic-controlled Legislature took a step toward a showdown with Gov. Chris Christie over legalized marijuana on Monday.

A state Senate panel convened a hearing on legalizing the drug, and a leading Democratic lawmaker says it's time to bring it out of an underground economy by legalizing, taxing and regulating it.

"I believe our state should lead the way," Democratic state Sen. Nicholas Scutari said. Scutari, who has authored a bill that would legalize, tax and regulate marijuana for people over 21, sketched a scenario in which the drug comes out of what he called a "black market" and gives way to a billion-dollar industry.

ENGLEWOOD, N.J. (CBSNewYork) — New Jersey lawmakers will consider the possibility Monday of legalizing recreational marijuana use in the state.

The state Senate is holding a judiciary hearing on the hot-button issue, WCBS 880’s Levon Putney reported.

Lawmakers are closely studying Colorado, Oregon and Washington, where pot use has been legalized.

Some of the big question marks center on tax dollars, business growth, security and whether banks would participate.

A school in New Jersey has become the first in the nation to allow students with disabilities and various medical conditions to legally consume marijuana to alleviate symptoms.

Larc School, which educates students "with a wide range of disabilities," approved guidelines for medical marijuana use on Wednesday night, just days after New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) signed a bill that protects schools and instructors from punishment if sick or disabled students take medical marijuana during school hours.

Roger Barbour (left) is shown with daughter Genny and wife Lora. They're in a legal fight to be able to give Genny medical marijuana at school.

TRENTON - Several South Jersey families are celebrating the news that Gov. Chris Christie signed into law Monday a long-awaited medical marijuana bill.

The bill requires facilities and schools providing services to residents with developmental disabilities to adopt policies allowing administration of medical marijuana to qualifying patients.

When I dreamt of having children, I never thought I’d dream of the day my teenage son could legally use marijuana. When I was in college learning about The War on Drugs, I didn’t appreciate the history behind this substance. I certainly do now.

My son would likely benefit from marijuana. It might help stop his severe seizing, which would change all of our lives.

Unfortunately for us, marijuana is a Schedule 1 drug, a class of drugs assumed to be highly addictive, dangerous and without medical value. Cannabis sits on this list with heroin and LSD, but there is no longer a consensus within the medical community that marijuana belongs on this list. And so even promising trials are very limited. The government isn’t listening to the doctors.

An Ocean County jury this week convicted an Atlantic County man for growing marijuana in the Pine Barrens.

Jon Peditto, 54, maintained throughout his trial in Toms River that he grew the 17 marijuana plants found by police in Tuckerton in 2012, according to a NJ.com report. 

Authorities also found more than three pounds of marijuana in his home, APP.com reported. 

He was charged with maintaining a drug production facility, possession of marijuana and two counts of possession of marijuana with intent to distribute.

CHERRY HILL, N.J. (AP) - Michelle Teel sees a pain specialist to help her manage the devastation that five years of breast cancer treatment has wreaked on her body. The 35-year-old Deptford woman suffers from bone pain and a stubborn six-inch leaking wound on her chest that won’t heal.

Oxycodone does little to ease her discomfort.

“I’m in pain every day,” the former reporter said.

“If I come up with the money, I want to try the (medicinal) marijuana,” Teel said. “I want to be on something that works.”

TOMS RIVER — A man who admitted to growing 17 cannabis plants in the Pine Barrens in 2012 was convicted Thursday of maintaining a drug manufacturing facility, the most serious charge against him.

After nearly six hours of deliberations, the jury returned a guilty verdict on two of the four counts filed against Jon Peditto, 54, of Mays Landing.

Along with the mainting a drug facility charge, Peditto was found guilty of possession of more than 50 grams of marijuana. The jury, however, returned a not guilty verdict on two counts of possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute.

Prosecutors said Peditto faces a minimum of 10 years in state prison.

A New Jersey woman expecting a box of hair products she ordered online got a much more surprising delivery last week.

Inside the box was 50 pounds of marijuana.

The homeowner says it wasn't addressed to her and she had no idea who sent it, so she called police. The pot has a street value of up to $100,000.

The police department has posted pictures of the pot on its Facebook page, inviting the person expecting the package to come to police headquarters to claim it.

So far there have been no takers.