New Jersey

New Jersey

77,392 Registered Patient Population

0.87% of Total Population Represented by Patients

9 Total Medical Retail Locations Currently in Operation

8,599 : 1 Patients : Retail

Medical cannabis is legal in New Jersey, however patients cannot cultivate at home. Patients and caregivers may possess up to 2 ounces of flower or concentrates. Patients report high prices and few dispensaries present barriers to access. Visitors from out of state with a valid medical cannabis card have all the benefits of New Jersey Patients for a period of six months.

Patient Rights and Civil Protection	77/100
Arrest Protection 40/40 Affirmative Defense 13/15 Parental Rights Protections 0/10 DUI Protections 0/5 Employment Protections 5/5 Explicit Privacy Standards 7/7 Housing Protections 4/5 Does Not Create New Criminal Penalties for Patients 5/5 Organ Transplants 0/5 Reciprocity 3/3
Access to Medicine	65/100
Allows Distribution Programs 30/40 – Allows Access to Dried Flowers 15/15 – Allows Delivery 5/5 – No Sales Tax or Reasonable Sales Tax 4/5 – Allows for a Reasonable Number of Dispensaries 2/5 – Does Not Require Vertical Integration 2/2 – Ownership/Employment Restrictions 2/2 – Provisions for Labor Standards 0/2 – Environmental Impact Regulations 0/2 – Choice of Dispensary Without Restrictions 0/2 Noncommercial Cultivation 0/20 – Personal Cultivation 0/15 – Collective Gardening 0/5 Explicit Right to Edibles/Concentrates/Other Forms 10/10 Does not Impose Bans or Limits on THC 7/10 Does not Impose Bans on CBD 10/10 Local Bans/Zoning 8/10
Ease of Navigation	98/100
Comprehensive Qualifying Conditions 48/50 Adding New Conditions 10/10 – Law/Regulations Allow for New Conditions 5/5 – System Works for Adding New Conditions 5/5 Reasonable Access for Minors 10/10 Reasonable Caregiver Background Checks 4/4 Number of Caregivers 2/2 Patient/Practitioner-Focused Task Force or Advisory Board 2/2 Reasonable Fees (Patients and Caregivers) 10/10 Allows Multiple-Year Registrations 2/2 Reasonable Physician Requirements 5/5 Does Not Classify Cannabis as a Medicine of Last Resort 5/5
Functionality	88/100
Patients Able to Access Medicine at Dispensaries or by Cultivation 45/50 No Significant Administrative or Supply Problems 14/15 Patients Can Receive Legal Protections Within Reasonable Time Frame of Doctor's Recommendation 8/10 Reasonable Possession Limits 4/5 Reasonable Purchase Limits 5/5 Allows Patients to Medicate Where They Choose 4/5 Covered by Insurance/State Health Aid 1/3 Financial Hardship (Fee Waivers/Discount Medicine) 7/7
Consumer Safety and Provider Requirements	76.43/100
Dispensing 19.67/25 Staff Training 5/5 Standard Operating Procedures 5/5 – Facility Sanitary Conditions 1.25/1.25 – Storage Protocols 1.25/1.25 – Reasonable Security Protocols 1.25/1.25 – Inventory Control 1.25/1.25 Recall Protocol and Adverse Event Reporting 5/5 Product Labeling 2.67/5 – Product Contents, Including Source Material Identification 1.67/1.67 – Allergens 0/1.67 – Potency/Compound Identification 1/1.67 Required Testing 2/5 – Active Compound Identification 1/1.67 – Contaminants 0/1.67 – Potency 1/1.67 Grow/Cultivation 20.09/25 Staff Training 5/5 Standard Operating Procedures 2.84/5 – Facility and Equipment Sanitary Conditions 0.71/0.71 – Workforce Safety Protocols 0/0.71 – Storage Protocols (Short-Term and Long-Term Storage) 0.71/0.71 – Reasonable Security Protocols 0.71/0.71 – Batch and Lot Tracking 0.71/0.71 – Disposal/Waste 0/0.71 – Water Management 0/0.71 Pesticide Guidance 4/5 – Pesticide Guidance 2/2.5 – Pesticide Labeling 2/2.5 Required Testing 3.25/5 – Active Ingredient Identification 1.25/1.25 – Contaminants 1/1.25 – Potency 1/1.25 – Sample Retention 0/1.25 Recall Protocol and Adverse Event Reporting 5/5 Manufacturing 19.67/25 Staff Training 5/5 Standard Operating Procedures 5/5 – Facility and Equipment Sanitary Conditions 1/1 – Workforce Safety Protocols 1/1 – Storage Protocols 1/1 – Reasonable Security Protocols 1/1 – Batch and Lot Tracking 1/1 Product Labeling 2.67/5 – Product Contents, Including Source Material Identification 1.67/1.67 – Allergens 0/1.67 – Potency and Compound Information 1/1.67 Required Testing 2/5 – Active Ingredient Identification 1/1 – Contaminants 0/1 – Potency 1/1 – Shelf Life Testing 0/1 – Sample Retention 0/1 Recall Protocol and Adverse Event Reporting 5/5 Laboratory Operations 17.00/25 Staff Training 3/5 Method Validation in Accordance with AHP Guidelines 0/5 Result Reporting 5/5 Independent or Third Party 4/5 Standard Operating Procedures and Protocols 5/5 – Equipment and Instrument Calibration 0.83/0.83 – Sample Tracking 0.83/0.83 – Facility and Equipment Sanitary Conditions 0.83/0.83 – Disposal/Waste 0.83/0.83 – Storage Protocols 0.83/0.83 – Workforce Safety Protocols 0.83/0.83
Covid Response	16/20
Delivery Available? 4/6 Curbside Pickup Available? 2/2 Medical Cannabis Essential? 7/7 Telemedicine Available? 3/5
Excerpted from ASA's 2020 State of the States Report.

Becoming a Patient in New Jersey

Recommending Cannabis in New Jersey

History of Medical Cannabis in New Jersey

Policy Recommendations New Jersey