New Jersey Medical Marijuana Card

Is Medical Marijuana Legal In New Jersey?

Yes. Medical marijuana was legalized in the State of New Jersey in January 2010 when the state legislature passed the CUMMA (Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Act). CUMMA permitted New Jersey residents to use medical marijuana to manage specific illnesses, including terminal illnesses. CUMMA also established the New Jersey Medical Marijuana Program (NJMMP) and authorized the Cannabis Regulatory Commission (CRC) to oversee the Program.

In 2019, Governor Phil Murphy signed the Jake Honig Compassionate Use Medical Cannabis Act (also called A20) into law, which made sweeping changes to the medical cannabis laws in the state. A20 permitted New Jersey residents to possess and use higher amounts (up to 3 ounces per month) of medical cannabis. Permitted forms of medical cannabis in New Jersey include vape, flower, oil, topicals, and oral lozenges.

How to Get a Medical Marijuana Card in New Jersey in 2024

Qualifying Conditions for Medical Card in New Jersey

To qualify to use medical marijuana in New Jersey in 2024, you must be a resident of the state, be aged 18 or older, and have a qualifying medical condition verified by a qualified healthcare practitioner approved by the New Jersey Medicinal Cannabis Program (NJMCP). The medical conditions for which medical marijuana is approved in New Jersey are:

• Cancer

• Dysmenorrhea

• Anxiety

• Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

• Glaucoma

• Migraine

• Chronic pain

• Opioid use disorder

• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

• Intractable skeletal muscular spasticity

• Chronic pain

• Inflammatory bowel disease, including Crohn's disease

• Muscular dystrophy

• Multiple sclerosis

• Terminal condition resulting in a prognosis of less than 12 months to live

• Seizure disorder, including epilepsy

• Tourette syndrome

• Positive status for HIV

• AIDS

Note that according to New Jersey's A20, persons who are registered under their state's medical marijuana program may be considered qualifying patients under New Jersey's medicinal cannabis program for up to six months while visiting the state.

Can I Apply For A Medical Marijuana Card In New Jersey Online?

Yes, you can apply for a medical marijuana card in New Jersey from the comfort of your home. State provisions allow eligible patients to obtain medical cannabis recommendations via telemedicine and complete the rest of the application online via the New Jersey Medical Cannabis Program portal.

How Do I Register With the New Jersey Medical Cannabis Program?

The New Jersey Medicinal Cannabis Program allows registered patients under the care of licensed medical practitioners to safely access cannabis-based medicine from licensed marijuana establishments in the state. To register with the program, you must have a certification from an approved physician attesting that you have a qualifying condition and will benefit from medical cannabis use. Once you obtain a medical cannabis recommendation, you must complete an online application to the New Jersey Department of Health by providing all requisite documentation and paying the registration fee.

Do I Need To Be A New Jersey Resident To Get A Medical Marijuana Card?

Yes, you must be a legal New Jersey resident to obtain a permanent medical cannabis card in the state. However, if you are a visiting patient from another state, you may be able to obtain a temporary registration under the New Jersey Medical Cannabis Program (MCP).

What Is The Cost Of A New Jersey Medical Marijuana Card?

The New Jersey Medicinal Cannabis Program ID card costs $10. However, a patient or caregiver can opt for the state’s free digital medical marijuana card rather than pay $10 for a physical card. This option became available on March 1, 2024 and allows patients and caregivers to print the PDF copies of their digital cards.

What Do You Need When Visiting A Medical Marijuana Dispensary In New Jersey?

You must take your medical marijuana cards and your State of New Jersey-issued identification card, such as a New Jersey driver's license to an approved dispensing facility in order to fill your orders. While the limit for medical marijuana is 3 ounces for a 30-day period, your dosage will be determined by your authorizing healthcare practitioner as indicated on the medical cannabis certification received from the physician.

You may also take cash, debit, or credit cards to the ATC. Many ATCs have ATMs within their premises, while others only permit cash payments.

Who Can Prescribe Medical Marijuana In New Jersey?

Medical cannabis law in New Jersey requires a patient to maintain a bona fide relationship with a physician registered with the state medicinal cannabis program. The state defines this relationship as one in which the physician has ongoing responsibility for caring, assessing, and treating a patient's debilitating medical condition. The relationship must have existed for a minimum of one year, and the physician must have seen or assessed the patient for the medical condition on a minimum of four visits.

A patient must obtain a reference number and certification from a qualified physician that they suffer from one of the approved conditions before medical marijuana use may be allowed for the patient. The New Jersey medical cannabis program permits residents to find physicians registered with the state's medical cannabis program through the Find a Provider tool and the registered physicians list on the CRC website. Through the find a provider tool, residents can find participating physicians by city, county, and specialty. Under the 2019 Jake Honig Compassionate Use Medical Cannabis Act, physicians, physician assistants, and Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (ARPNs) can issue medical cannabis certifications in New Jersey.

Can A Minor Get A Medical Marijuana Card In New Jersey?

Yes. New Jersey residents under the age of 18 are not prohibited from possessing and using medical marijuana. However, for medical marijuana use to be legal for minors, they must have chronic debilitating conditions approved under the New Jersey medical cannabis laws and designate adult caregivers to help obtain and administer medical marijuana. Hence, minors suffering from autism, seizures, and cancer can access medical-grade marijuana in New Jersey.

Note that, unlike adult medical marijuana patients, minors who qualify for medical marijuana must obtain approvals or certifications from physicians trained as pediatrics and registered with the state medicinal cannabis program.

Can You Get A Medical Marijuana Card At 18 In New Jersey?

Yes. Minors registered in the New Jersey medical marijuana program will be treated as adults when they turn 18. When they become adults, they can re-apply for new cards without requiring the consent of their parents or legal guardians. They also will not be required to obtain patient certifications from their pediatricians nor need to designate caregivers.

How To Renew Your New Jersey Medical Marijuana Card

A New Jersey medical marijuana (MMJ) card is valid for two years. If your medical cannabis certification has expired, you will be required to obtain an active certification before completing the renewal process. After obtaining a reference number from your attending physician, log in to your New Jersey patient registry account and select the renewal option to complete the process. The renewal process is similar to the initial medical marijuana card application process.

Can You Grow Medical Marijuana In New Jersey?

Certified patients and their caregivers are prohibited from growing medical marijuana in New Jersey as current state law does not authorize the Cannabis Regulatory Commission to permit or regulate the home cultivation of medical cannabis. Under current regulations, growing marijuana is considered a third-degree crime, punishable by a maximum of 5 years in prison and a $25,000 fine. However, bills (S353/A3657 and S342/A997) to permit the growing of marijuana for medical purposes are pending in the New Jersey legislature.

New Jersey: Benefits Of Having A Medical Marijuana Card In A Recreational Marijuana-Legal State

Possessing a New Jersey medical marijuana card provides several benefits to patients. Medical marijuana is prioritized over recreational cannabis; hence, there is always marijuana supply for medical marijuana cardholders. Also, medical cannabis patients are under the care of healthcare practitioners overseeing their treatments and recommending dosages. New Jersey medical marijuana cardholders can buy up to 3 ounces per time (every 30 days), while recreational marijuana buyers are only allowed to buy 1 ounce in a single transaction. Furthermore, there is no sales tax for medical cannabis, making it cheaper than recreational marijuana in New Jersey.

Does New Jersey Allow Medical Marijuana Patients To Designate Caregivers?

New Jersey permits minors and adults (residents aged 21 and above, with conditions rendering them incapable of visiting Alternative Treatment Centers) registered under the state's medical cannabis program to designate up to two caregivers. However, under specific circumstances and pursuant to C.24:6I-4 of the Jake Honig Compassionate Use Medical Cannabis Act, a qualified patient may petition the Cannabis Regulatory Commission for approval to concurrently have more than two designated caregivers.

New Jersey defines a caregiver as a resident of the state that is aged 18 or older and has agreed to assist a certified medical marijuana patient with obtaining and administering medical cannabis. Also, the caregiver must not have been designated by more than one other qualifying patient.

Caregivers are not designated by the state but by certified patients in New Jersey. The caregiver may be a family member or friend of the certified patient. The state requires designated caregivers to obtain medical marijuana cards through the same medical marijuana identification card registration process as patients. Note that caregivers who are not considered immediate family members must submit to background checks through fingerprinting before the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission may approve them.

Caregivers must be registered in the New Jersey medical marijuana caregiver registry to purchase medical cannabis from an alternative treatment center (ATC) on behalf of a patient. New Jersey does not consider anyone driving a certified patient to an ATC, but not assisting the patient inside the ATC premises, as a caregiver.

New Jersey Medical Marijuana Reciprocity

Medical cannabis patients from other states are allowed to register for a non-renewable, six-month medical cannabis card for use during their stay in New Jersey. However, they must consult with a registered New Jersey physician who will enroll them in the New Jersey Medical Cannabis Program registry. Out-of-state patients will need to use the reference number and registry ID number obtained from the healthcare practitioner and a current copy of their medical marijuana registration in their home states’ programs to set up an account in the New Jersey medical cannabis patient portal.

Are My Medical Marijuana Records Private?

According to Bill A20, also called Jake's Law, medical marijuana records under the NJMCP are confidential and may not be considered a public record. Such records may not be disclosed except to:

• Authorized employees of the Department of Health, Cannabis Regulatory Commission, and the Division of Consumer Affairs as necessary to perform official duties; and

• Authorized employees of local or state law enforcement agencies, only as required to verify that a person who is engaged in an alleged medical use of cannabis is lawfully in possession of a medical cannabis card issued with the commission

Does Insurance Cover Medical Marijuana In New Jersey?

No. Medical cannabis is not covered by insurance health plans in New Jersey. However, you may speak with your healthcare provider about whether office visits related to qualifying medical conditions being treated with medical cannabis may be covered by insurance.

What Is The Medical Card Limit In New Jersey?

A New Jersey medical marijuana card allows the cardholder to possess up to 3 ounces of cannabis every 30 days, except for patients with terminal conditions who have no monthly limit. Dosages are determined by the patients' healthcare practitioners. If a patient is homebound or is a minor, the designated caregiver of the patient can purchase and deliver up to 3 ounces of cannabis per month to the patient with a valid caregiver card issued under the New Jersey Medical Cannabis Program.

Can You Go To A Dispensary Without A Medical Card In New Jersey?

A medical marijuana card is not required to purchase marijuana in New Jersey. If you are 21 or older and have a valid ID to prove it, you can purchase recreational cannabis at approved dispensaries in the state. However, a medical marijuana card is required for patients looking to buy medical marijuana.