No. Although recreational cannabis is legalized in New Jersey and the City of Newark permits cannabis retailers to operate in its jurisdictions, there are currently no marijuana dispensaries in the city.
No. While Section 14:2-1 of the Newark Municipality Code permits cannabis dispensaries in the city. No medical cannabis dispensaries are currently established in the city.
Yes. Newark residents may order cannabis online from dispensaries operating in neighboring New Jersey municipalities and have it delivered to their homes.
There are currently no marijuana dispensaries in Newark. Persons who want to purchase cannabis in the city must order cannabis products online or visit other New Jersey jurisdictions where marijuana dispensaries exist. If you are visiting a dispensary in other jurisdictions in New Jersey, you must be 21 or older to be allowed to enter such facilities. If you are visiting a medical cannabis dispensary, you must be ready to present your New Jersey medical marijuana card before you may be permitted to buy medical marijuana.
Dispensaries usually accept cash, so you must take cash with you to complete your transaction. Although some dispensing establishments may accept debit cards, it is recommended that you have cash with you or prepare to withdraw cash for your purchases at a nearby ATM. Dispensaries typically have budtenders or care professionals who attend to customers and guide them in purchasing decisions. New Jersey law stipulates that dispensaries may not sell more than the specified limits. Hence, do not attempt to buy more than is permitted. Additionally, it is prohibited to use marijuana products on dispensary premises.
The following are dispensary laws in Newark:
Cannabis retail outlets may operate in the city upon obtaining the applicable licenses and permits
Cannabis consumption on the premises of a marijuana dispensary is illegal except in facilities that have obtained licenses to establish indoor cannabis consumption areas
Cannabis dispensaries may only operate between 9:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Dispensaries may operate between 8:00 a.m. and 11:00 p.m. on Friday through Sunday
Dispensaries with indoor cannabis consumption may only operate their consumption areas between 9:00 a.m. and 12:00 a.m. the following day, Monday through Thursday. Such consumption areas may be open between 8:00 a.m. and 2:00 a.m. the following day, Friday through Sunday
Cannabis dispensaries may not operate within a residence, an affixed structure, vehicle or mobile structure, or on any premises in which a grocery store, indoor food market, delicatessen, or other store selling food or alcoholic beverage is located
Dispensaries must verify the IDs and other documentation of customers before selling them cannabis
No more than the stipulated individual possession limits be sold to customers at dispensaries
Cannabis sales to minors are prohibited
Recreational cannabis possession, sale, and consumption are legal in Newark pursuant to the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory, Enforcement Assistance, and Marketplace Modernization (CREAMM) Act. Newark residents may possess cannabis within the approved possession limits but are not allowed to cultivate cannabis at home.
Although cannabis possession and use are legal in Newark, residents are prohibited from driving motor vehicles while under the influence of cannabis. The rules and penalties for impaired driving in the city are the same for whether the intoxication is due to alcohol, medication, or other substances. While there are currently no dispensaries in the city, residents may only purchase cannabis from approved dispensaries and alternative treatment centers in other New Jersey jurisdictions. Cannabis may not be transported by train, automobile, or aircraft across state lines.
In Newark, residents of legal age may share up to 1 ounce of cannabis with other adults 21 or older. However, such transfers may not involve any form of compensation or payment. Newark employees are also permitted to create policies prohibiting cannabis use at workplaces and require drug tests if safety or work procedure is compromised.
Medical marijuana is legal in Newark pursuant to the Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Act (CUMMA) passed into law in 2010. Bill A20, signed into law in 2019, amended the CUMMA, permitting home delivery of medical cannabis and increasing the amounts of cannabis allowed to registered medical cannabis patients. The state medical cannabis law established a medical marijuana patient registry that allows residents aged 18 or older who suffer from specific medical conditions to access medical cannabis legally. Under the New Jersey Medical Marijuana Program, Newark patients and their caregivers may purchase up to 3 ounces of medical cannabis per month. However, registered patients in the city who have been certified as terminally ill do not have a set monthly purchase limit. S2842, signed into law in 2013, allows Newark patients under 18 to consume edible forms of medical marijuana.
Medical cannabis may only be consumed on private properties. The cultivation of cannabis is illegal for patients and caregivers. New Jersey law prohibits employers from taking adverse actions against employees who are registered medical marijuana patients based solely on their patient status.
In order to obtain a medical marijuana card in Newark, you must register with the New Jersey patient registry. A medical marijuana card allows Newark patients in the city to legally obtain marijuana from approved Alternate Treatment Centers (ATCs) across New Jersey. In order to be eligible to enroll in the New Jersey patient registry, you must:
Be a resident of Newark or another New Jersey location
Maintain a bona fide relationship with a healthcare professional registered with the New Jersey medical cannabis program. To find out if your healthcare provider is participating under the New Jersey MCP or a participating healthcare professional, use the find a participating healthcare practitioner tool on the New Jersey MCP website
Be diagnosed to have a qualified medical condition by an approved healthcare practitioner. These conditions include:
Cancer
Anxiety
Multiple sclerosis
Opioid Use Disorder
Migraine
Muscular dystrophy
PTSD
Glaucoma
Chronic pain
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Dysmenorrhea
Inflammatory bowel disease, including Crohn's disease
Seizure disorder, including epilepsy
Tourette Syndrome and AIDS
Intractable skeletal muscular spasticity
Positive status for HIV
Terminal illnesses with a prognosis of less than one year to live
After determining eligibility for medical cannabis, you must schedule a visit to an approved healthcare practitioner to obtain an Authorizing Provider Statement. This statement will include an MCP registry ID and reference ID number required to complete your application. Subsequently, visit the New Jersey MCP registry to upload the required documentation and pay the application fee. The following items will be required to complete your application:
A recent full-face front-facing photograph taken against a plain, white background
Proof of New Jersey residency, such as a current New Jersey-issued ID with your current physical address. Alternatively, you may provide two of the following:
Bank statements for the previous three months showing your name and address
A utility or cell phone bill from the past three months
A property tax bill, jury summons, Social Security Administration documentation, or other local, state, or federal government correspondence with your name and address issued in the past three months
An official deed
Any last three consecutive pay stubs
A W-2 1099 Statement, Form 1098, other IRS correspondence, or the New Jersey Division of Taxation from the past year with your name and address
Proof of government assistance (SNAP, SSI, SSD, TDI, Medicaid, Medicare, Military Veteran, or Senior Citizen), if applicable
After uploading all the required documentation, pay the standard $50 application fee or $20 if you are eligible for a reduced fee. Upon the approval of your application, your card will arrive in the mail in 2-3 weeks. For more information on obtaining a medical marijuana card, visit the Patient Accounts page of the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission’s website
You can consume marijuana legally on private properties in Newark. However, property owners are permitted to restrict cannabis use on their properties. Therefore, if you reside in a rented apartment in the city, you must obtain permission from the property owner to consume cannabis on the property. You cannot use cannabis on federal lands, federal buildings, or public locations where cannabis smoking is banned.
You cannot purchase cannabis at a dispensary in Newark, as there are currently no dispensaries in the city. However, you can buy medical cannabis by ordering online from cannabis dispensaries in other New Jersey locations delivering cannabis in Newark. If you order cannabis online in the city, your government-issued ID will be required before taking delivery of the product. If you are buying medical marijuana, your New Jersey medical marijuana card will be required to obtain delivery of purchased products.
Although dispensaries do not currently exist in the city, you can purchase an ounce of cannabis from neighboring New Jersey municipalities for about $200 - $250.
Some popular cannabis strains in Newark are:
Mob Ross
Gelato
Runtz
Blueberry
Motorbreath
No. Cannabis smoking in public places is illegal in Newark. Smoking cannabis anywhere tobacco smoking is prohibited is unlawful.
Newark adults over 21 are permitted to possess up to one ounce or 28 grams of usable cannabis or its equivalent in solid, liquid, or concentrate form. Registered medical cannabis patients are permitted to possess 3 ounces or 85 grams of cannabis every 30 days. Patients with a terminal illness or receiving hospice treatment have no monthly possession restriction.
You may not ship cannabis across state lines by train, automobile, or plane in Newark. Also, it is illegal to mail cannabis anywhere, even to places where cannabis use is legal.
You can order cannabis online in Newark. While there are currently no dispensaries within the city to order from, residents can order cannabis online from dispensaries in other New Jersey towns and cities.
No. There are currently no 24-hour dispensaries in the city.
Tourists cannot use cannabis dispensaries in Newark as there are no dispensaries currently in the city. However, when dispensaries open in the city, tourists only need to provide government-issued IDs proving they are 21 or older to purchase cannabis in the city.
Currently, there are no weed dispensaries in Newark, even though the city permits establishing such businesses. However, when weed dispensaries open in the city, you must present a government-issued ID to verify your identity when purchasing weed. Persons looking to buy medical cannabis will also be required to present valid medical marijuana cards.
There are currently no cannabis dispensaries located within Newark.
When dispensaries open in the city, the facilities will scan customers’ IDs as required by state law to ensure weed buyers are of legal age and have the proper documentation to purchase cannabis.
There are currently no weed dispensaries located within the City or Newark.
Although there are no marijuana dispensaries in Newark, cannabis dispensaries typically accept cash or debit cards.
While no marijuana dispensaries exist in Newark as of this moment, no law in New Jersey restricts Newark residents from visiting multiple dispensaries when they are open in the city.
Health insurance companies do not cover cannabis purchases as cannabis remains a banned substance under federal law.
New Jersey law requires all cannabis dispensaries to track sales in their facilities. When dispensaries open in Newark, they will be bound by the same law.
No. Per state law, adult-use weed buyers must be 21 or older to enter cannabis dispensaries in the state. Medical marijuana buyers must be at least 18 or have their designated caregivers purchase cannabis on their behalf if they are 18.
The New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission (CRC) regulates cannabis activities statewide in New Jersey. You can find the CRC’s contact information on the Commission’s website.
To report illegal cannabis activities in Newark, you may contact the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission, New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs, or the Newark Police Division.