Attorney Roger Barbour represented his wife and daughter in a case that paved the way for the first school in the nation to allow medical cannabis on campus. Watch video
TRENTON -- The father who helped pass a state law allowing severely ill and disabled children like his daughter to use edible marijuana at school died from complications of a heart attack on Thursday.
Roger Barbour, 51, of Maple Shade, was remembered Friday as a devoted family man and a tenacious lawyer whose successful challenge on his daughter's behalf made her private school in Camden County the first in the country to adopt a medical marijuana policy.
Ken Wolski, a registered nurse and executive director of the Coalition for Medical Marijuana in New Jersey, described Barbour as "a brilliant, savvy and relentless advocate."
"He was responsible for having the first school in the nation permit, by policy, the administration of medical marijuana on school property," Wolski said. "Not only was he effective -- he also won a nice settlement from the school -- but he kept his sense of humor throughout."
"He was a loving and dedicated family man. I'm sure that was the source of much of his strength," Wolski added. "Roger will be sorely missed."
Barbour's daughter, Genevieve, "Genny" Barbour, 17, is diagnosed with autism, as well as a severe seizure disorder that her mother's cannabis oil has kept under control since the August 2014.
When the Barbours asked the Larc School in Bellmawr whether the school nurse could give Genny marijuana oil at lunch time, officials refused. They feared they would be targeted for allowing an illegal drug on school property because marijuana possession remains a federal crime.
Roger Barbour sued the school and the Maple Shade school district for violating his daughter's constitutional rights to an education. Without a steady dose of the oil, her seizures interfered with her ability to learn, he said.
"She could have Valium or oxycodone, but not medical marijuana. Other children can take their medicine. My daughter cannot," Roger Barbour told NJ Advance Media in April 2015. "My daughter is a citizen of this state, and this is a violation of her state and federal constitutional rights."
The Barbours lost their legal appeals but succeeded in the Statehouse.
In November, Gov. Chris Christie signed a law sponsored by Assemblyman Lou Greenwald (D-Camden) and Sen. Nicholas Scutari (D-Union) that requires school boards to adopt a policy that permits parents, guardians and primary caregivers to bring edible cannabis on a school bus and onto school property.
New Jersey was the second state in the nation, behind Colorado, to pass such a law. Days after Christie signed the bill, the Larc School adopted a cannabis policy.
Teen demands right to use medical marijuana in N.J. school
Roger Barbour's wife Lora, said she wanted people to remember him as a loving father to daughters Genny and Marlee, 13.
"Roger was happiest being at home with his family. His time not working was spent with his girls. He loved us dearly," she said.
He was a lifelong Maple Shade resident, a self-employed attorney specializing in school law, and a member of the Rotary Club, according to his obituary.
He was son of George H. Barbour, a former president of the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities and a former Democratic Assemblyman in the 1960s and 70s.
Although the Barbours won the legal challenge, Genny was not using marijuana oil at school, which was a source of frustration for the family.
The medical marijuana law enacted in 2010 allows only a registered caregiver to administer the edible marijuana to a child. But a midday visit from mom is likely to trigger a tantrum and unravel the remainder of her daughter's school day, the Barbours said. Another bill is pending in the Legislature to allow flexibility on who may administer the edible cannabis at school.
In the meantime, Roger Barbour told NJ Advance Media in June that he and his family took pride in what they had accomplished.
"We have to appreciate what we have done. Kids can use this drug in school. We were the first state in the nation," he said. "We see people all the time who tell us we did a good thing."
Services are scheduled for Saturday morning, with visitation from 9:15 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church, 236 E. Main St., Maple Shade, followed by the funeral mass at 11 a.m., according to the obituary by the Mark C. Tilghman Funeral Home.
Memorial contributions may be made to Genny the Purple Warrior C/O Columbia Bank, 253 E. Main St., Maple Shade, NJ 08052.
Susan K. Livio may be reached at slivio@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @SusanKLivio. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.