112,404 Registered Patient Population |
1.20% of Total Population Represented by Patients |
30 Total Medical Retail Locations Currently in Operation |
374,680 : 1 Patients : Retail |
Cannabis is legal to all adults over 21 in New Jersey; it is one of the few states that has not allowed home cultivation alongside recreational sales. Even patients and caregivers are not allowed to grow at home. As a registered patient in New Jersey, you will have an affirmative defense in court if you are arrested for the possession of cannabis. 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. In 2019, the Jake Honig Compassionate Use Medical Cannabis Act extended cost-saving and flexibility provisions. Details on how these laws apply to patients and medical professionals can be found below.
In 2019, S4154 established the expungement of low-level cannabis crimes and set up an “automated clean slate process” to seal certain records. For more information refer to the website of the New Jersey Courts.
Navigating New Jersey State Laws:
Patients and Caregivers: Enrolling and Accessing Medical Cannabis
Medical Professionals: Procedures for recommending Medical Cannabis
Policymakers and Advocates: Actions Needed to Improve Laws for Patients
Get involved locally!
Take Action!
Here is a breakdown of how New Jersey fared in ASA’s Annual State of the States Report, which evaluates the effectiveness of each state cannabis program from a patient perspective and assigns a grade using a rubric that reflects the key issues affecting patient access. Medical cannabis laws are constantly changing, ASA’s policy recommendations for New Jersey can be found below. For policy updates sign up here.
Patient Rights and Civil Protections |
70/100 |
|
Arrest Protection |
25/25 |
Affirmative Defense |
20/20 |
Parental Rights Protections |
0/20 |
DUI Protections |
0/10 |
Employment Protections |
20/20 |
Explicit Privacy Standards |
5/5 |
|
Access to Medicine |
55/100 |
|
Authorizes Retail Access |
10/10 |
Alternative Accessibility Methods |
20/20 |
- Authorizes Delivery |
10/10 |
- Authorizes Curbside Pickup |
10/10 |
Personal Cultivation |
0/15 |
Collective Gardening |
0/5 |
Sufficient Number of Licensed Retailers |
5/30 |
Reciprocity |
20/20 |
|
Program Functionality |
76/100 |
|
Legal Protections Within Reasonable Time Frame |
16/20 |
Reasonable Possession Limits |
10/10 |
Reasonable Purchase Limits |
5/10 |
Telemedicine for Physician Certifications |
8/15 |
Patient and Physician Representation in Program Decision Making |
15/20 |
Reasonable Caregiver Standards |
2/5 |
- Background Checks |
0/2 |
- Number of Caregivers |
2/3 |
Reasonable Physician Standards |
5/5 |
Access to Administration Methods |
10/10 |
- Allows Dried Flower |
5/5 |
- Allows Edibles, Concentrates, and Other Forms |
5/5 |
Provides Access to Minors on School Grounds |
5/5 |
|
Affordability |
63/100 |
|
Sales Tax Break for Patients and Caregivers |
16/20 |
Covered by State Insurance or Health Aid |
7/20 |
Reasonable Registration Fees |
20/20 |
Financial Hardship Waivers or Discounts |
10/20 |
Donation Program |
0/10 |
Allows Multi-Year Registrations |
10/10 |
|
Health and Social Equity |
58/100 |
|
State Program Protections |
25/25 |
Housing Protections |
0/25 |
Access for Minors |
8/10 |
Access in Underserved Areas |
2/10 |
List of Qualifying Conditions is Exhaustive or All Inclusive |
9/10 |
Allows Patients to Medicate Where they Choose |
4/10 |
Organ Transplants |
5/5 |
Ownership or Employment Restrictions |
5/5 |
|
Consumer Protection and Product Safety |
151/200 |
|
Cultivation Operations |
41/50 |
Quality Management Systems |
10/10 |
Staff Training |
10/10 |
Standard Operating Procedures |
8/8 |
- Facility and Equipment Sanitation |
1/1 |
- Workplace Safety |
1/1 |
- Storage |
1/1 |
- Batch and Lot Tracking |
1/1 |
- Security |
1/1 |
- Waste Disposal |
1/1 |
- Water Management |
1/1 |
- Records Management |
1/1 |
Pesticide Usage Limitations |
2/2 |
Environmental Impact Regulations |
2/2 |
Required Testing |
5/8 |
- Cannabinoids |
1/1 |
- Terpenes |
0/1 |
- Microbials |
1/1 |
- Aflatoxins |
0/1 |
- Pesticides |
1/1 |
- Heavy Metals |
1/1 |
- Foreign Matter |
1/1 |
- Moisture Content/ Water Activity |
0/1 |
Packaging and Labeling |
1/3 |
- Cannabinoids |
1/1 |
- Terpenes |
0/1 |
- Pesticides |
0/1 |
Complaints, Adverse Event Reporting, and Recall Protocol |
3/7 |
Manufacturing Operations |
41/50 |
Quality Management Systems |
10/10 |
Staff Training |
10/10 |
Standard Operating Procedures |
7/7 |
- Facility and Equipment Sanitation |
1/1 |
- Workplace Safety |
1/1 |
- Storage |
1/1 |
- Batch and Lot Tracking |
1/1 |
- Security |
1/1 |
- Waste Disposal |
1/1 |
- Records Management |
1/1 |
Environmental Impact Regulations |
3/3 |
Required Testing |
6/10 |
- Cannabinoids |
1/1 |
- Terpenes |
0/1 |
- Microbials |
1/1 |
- Aflatoxins |
0/1 |
- Pesticides |
1/1 |
- Heavy Metals |
1/1 |
- Residual Solvents |
1/1 |
- Homogeneity |
0/1 |
- Foreign Matter |
1/1 |
- Water Activity |
0/1 |
Packaging and Labeling |
2/5 |
- Cannabinoids |
1/1 |
- Terpenes |
0/1 |
- Ingredients |
1/1 |
- Allergens |
0/1 |
- Nutritional Content |
0/1 |
Complaints, Adverse Event Reporting and Recall Protocol |
3/5 |
Dispensary Operations |
34/50 |
Staff Training |
20/20 |
Standard Operating Procedures |
7/7 |
- Facility Sanitation |
1/1 |
- Workplace Safety |
1/1 |
- Storage |
1/1 |
- Batch and Lot Tracking |
1/1 |
- Security |
1/1 |
- Waste Disposal |
1/1 |
- Records Management |
1/1 |
Product Testing |
0/10 |
- Product Meets Requirements Before Sale |
0/5 |
- COA Disclosure |
0/5 |
Complaints, Adverse Event Reporting and Recall Protocol |
7/13 |
Laboratory Operations |
35/50 |
Independent or Third-Party |
5/5 |
Laboratory Sampling |
0/5 |
Method Validation |
4/4 |
Quality Management Systems |
5/5 |
Staff Training |
10/20 |
Standard Operating Procedures |
7/7 |
- Facility and Equipment Sanitation |
1/1 |
- Equipment and Instrument Calibration |
1/1 |
- Workplace Safety |
1/1 |
- Sample Tracking |
1/1 |
- Security |
1/1 |
- Waste Disposal |
1/1 |
- Records Management |
1/1 |
Result Reporting |
4/4 |
|
Score Penalties |
20/100 |
|
Gives Regulatory Preference to Adult Use |
20/20 |
Classifies Cannabis as a Medicine of Last Resort |
0/15 |
Administrative or Supply Problems |
0/15 |
Requires Vertical Integration |
0/10 |
Creates New Criminal Penalties for Patients |
0/10 |
Limits Patients to a Single Retailer |
0/10 |
No System for Adding Qualifying Conditions |
0/10 |
Imposes Bans or Limits on THC |
0/5 |
Imposes Bans or Limits on CBD |
0/5 |
|
Excerpted from ASA's 2022 State of the States Report. |