Medical Marijuana in New Jersey

News:

Nurse practitioners, physician assistants can now enroll N.J. patients in medical marijuana program

Summary of New Jersey Medical Marijuana Recreational Use Businesses – NJ Cannabis Regulatory Commission

“New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory, Enforcement Assistance, and Marketplace Modernization Act”

This bill legalizes cannabis for certain adults, subject to State regulation; decriminalizes small amount marijuana and hashish possession; removes marijuana as Schedule I drug. Find the entire bill here.

 

Program Overview:

New Jersey has legalized both medical and adult use marijuana.

In 2010, on his last day in office, Governor Corzine signed S-88, the Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Act (“CUMMA”), which made New Jersey the 14th state in the country to legalize medical cannabis use. The very next day, incoming Governor Christie immediately stalled implementation for years. In 2018, the Department of Health finally issued a Request For Applications for Alternative Treatment Centers (ATCs) which would grow, process and sell medical marijuana to qualifying patients.

In July 2019, Governor Murphy signed into law the Jake Honig Compassionate Use Medical Cannabis Act (“CUMCA”), which greatly expanded CUMMA.

On November 3, 2020, 67% of New Jersey voters voted “yes” to amend the state’s Constitution to permit the non-medical use of cannabis for adults 21 years and older. In February 2021, Governor Murphy signed into law the Cannabis Regulatory, Enforcement Assistance, and Marketplace Modernization Act (“CREAMM”), which provides the framework for decriminalization of cannabis and the establishment of an adult-use cannabis program. The CREAMM Act also consolidates the regulatory oversight for adult-use and medical marijuana programs under the newly formed Cannabis Regulatory Commission.

Medical Program Facts and Statistics

  • Currently, there are 17 qualified debilitating medical conditions, including: Cancer, Chronic Pain, Migraines, Opioid Use Disorder, HIV/AIDS, and PTSD
  • Patients can purchase up to 3 ounces of medical cannabis for a 30-day period in dried flower, concentrated oils, lozenges and other chewable forms, pills, tablets, capsules, drops and syrups, tinctures, topical, transdermal, and sublingual forms.
  • Currently, there are 23 operational medical cannabis dispensaries. There are 12 cultivation and/or manufacturing facilities with additional operations expected to become operational in the future.

Adult-Use Program Facts and Statistics

  • Beginning December 15, 2021, the Cannabis Regulatory Commission started accepting applications to cultivate and manufacture cannabis; on March 15, 2022, the Commission will begin accepting applications for cannabis retail operations. Applications for both are considered on a rolling basis.
  • Adults 21 years and older will be able to purchase up to and possess 1 ounce of cannabis in dried flower, cannabis concentrate, drops, tinctures, oral lozenges, ingestible forms such as syrups, pills, tablets, capsules, and chewable forms, and topical and transdermal formulations.
  • New Jersey’s adult-use cannabis program is anticipated to have product sales totaling approximately $750MM in its first year.

You can check out the Cannabis Regulatory Commission’s website here.

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DISCLAIMER

Cannabis Law PA attorneys are licensed to practice law in Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, and Maryland. Cannabis Law PA attorneys serve Ohio clients on a non-legal consulting basis. Cannabis Law PA does not provide legal advice to clients regarding Ohio law.