Morris County Cannabis – Is It Legal & Where To Buy 2024

Is Cannabis Cultivation Legal in Morris County?

Yes. Individuals or entities with a Class 1 Cannabis Cultivator license are allowed to grow marijuana in New Jersey. In January 2021, medicinal and recreational use of cannabis in the state became legal following the constitutional amendment legalizing marijuana. Many (65%) residents in Morris County voted YES to the New Jersey Public Question 1, asking voters if they approve of legalizing a controlled form of marijuana called cannabis. Statewide, more than 67% of the residents in New Jersey approved of the constitutional amendment.

The Cannabis Regulatory Commission (CRC) was created to regulate the sale and purchase of recreational marijuana, enforce rules and regulations on the medicinal cannabis program, and issue licenses to businesses engaged in the cultivation, manufacturing, and dispensing of cannabis.

Only licensed individuals and entities are allowed to grow marijuana outdoors. Cannabis cultivators shall propagate and grow cannabis on their business premises as their license permits. If indoors, the production must be in an enclosed and locked area. If the premises are outdoors, the site must comply with the NJ Administrative Code 17:30. Under the Farmland Assessment Act, licensed cultivators shall not operate on land valued, assessed, or taxed for horticultural or agricultural use.

Cultivation of marijuana in private residences is prohibited.

Is Cannabis Manufacturing Legal in Morris County?

Yes. To produce and manufacture cannabis products, you must obtain a Class 2 Cannabis Manufacturer license as provided under the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory, Enforcement Assistance, and Marketplace Modernization (CREAMM) Act. Manufacturing means preparing, compounding, mixing, or converting usable cannabis to produce or create a cannabis product.

The NJ Administrative Code 17:30 prohibits manufacturing cannabis products in hospitals, schools, adult correctionals, detention facilities, or youth correctional facilities. Cannabis manufacturing must be done in an enclosed area or locked facility. Access to the area must be limited to cannabis business ID cardholders with authority from the owner or principal. The manufacturer must ensure the operation area is well-lighted, ventilated, clean, sanitary, and temperature-controlled.

The CRC provides all information regarding the application process for acquiring a manufacturing license. Apart from this license, businesses may also apply as a cultivator, wholesaler, distributor, retailer, delivery, and conditional license while waiting for the approval of their application. The application and license fee schedules can be found here.

Before registering your business to the New Jersey CRC Portal, here is the application guide to navigating your way through the portal.

Is Cannabis Retail Legal in Morris County?

Yes. There are dispensaries in Morris County selling cannabis and cannabis products to consumers at a retail store obtained from cultivators, manufacturers, or distributors. These dispensaries must be approved to have a Class 5 Cannabis Retailer license.

Under the CREAMM Act, residents aged 21 years old are allowed to purchase marijuana products in New Jersey. For recreational use, residents can only buy a total of one (1) ounce of cannabis and cannabis products. Meanwhile, Medicinal Cannabis Program (MCP) patients may acquire up to three (3) ounces of cannabis every (thirty) 30 days, as prescribed by their doctor or health practitioner.

Cannabis products include dried flowers, concentrates (i.e., tinctures), resins, oils, ingestible products (i.e. gummies, syringes, soft chews), vape formulas, tinctures, lozenges, and other liquid forms (i.e. topicals). Dispensaries cannot sell perishable marijuana items such as brownies and cookies.

Dispensaries may require you to present a government-issued identification card to ensure you are legally allowed to purchase their products. However, they may not track your purchases or make copies of your ID.

MCP patients can get their prescripted cannabis orders from Alternative Treatment Centers (ATC). They may also authorize their caregivers to purchase cannabis on their behalf.

Is Cannabis Delivery Legal in Morris County?

Yes. The state of New Jersey allows the delivery of cannabis products from licensed dispensaries to consumers at their doorstep. Morris County residents enjoy this convenience as well. To be a courier of cannabis products, a business must get hold of a Class 6 Cannabis Delivery license.

The cannabis delivery service allows a consumer to make a purchase of cannabis products and other implements from retailers through a courier. Consumers have the option to transact with the delivery service directly, or with the cannabis retailer and have them delivered through the courier service. In both instances, the delivery service or the dispensary may require the presentation of government-issued IDs or MCP patient cards for proper identification.

How to Get Medical Marijuana Card in Morris County

The Medicinal Cannabis Program was made possible through the enactment of the Jake Honig Compassionate Use Medical Cannabis Act. It allowed registered patients to safely access cannabis medications from monitored facilities in the state without the one (1) ounce restriction. As long as a doctor or a health practitioner has prescribed you the proper dosage, MCP registered patients may purchase up to three (3) ounces of cannabis every month.

To reap the benefits of the MCP, patients must register and log in with the CRC to obtain a medical marijuana identification card. A patient must meet the following qualifications: maintain a healthcare practitioner-patient relationship that lasted for a year, be a New Jersey resident, and be diagnosed with any of the authorized qualifying medical conditions. These medical conditions are:

• Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome
• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
• Anxiety
• Cancer
• Chronic pain
• Chron’s disease
• Dysmenorrhea
• Epilepsy
• Glaucoma
• Human Immunodeficiency Virus
• Inflammatory bowel disease
• Intractable skeletal muscular spasticity
• Migraine
• Multiple sclerosis
• Muscular dystrophy
• Opioid Use Disorder
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
• Seizure disorders
• Tourette Syndrome

Doctors who have diagnosed patients with a terminal illness predicted to live in less than twelve (12) months are also qualified to be MCP patients and do not have a monthly limit. Register here.

Medicinal Marijuana Program Customer Service

For patients, caregivers, and health care practitioners:

Phone: 609-292-0424

Email: medcannabis@crc.nj.gov

How Has Cannabis Legalization Impacted the Economy of Morris County?

Total sales of recreational cannabis spiked up to $80 million in 10 weeks from April to June 2022. This includes around $5 million in tax revenue from sales and $220 thousand in social equity excise fees.

According to the CREAMM Act, recreational marijuana is subject to 6.625% sales and use tax imposed by the NJ Division of Tax. In contrast, medical cannabis is not subject to any sales tax as of July 2022.

On the other hand, New Jersey’s Alternative Treatment Centers’ sales revenue garnered $53 million in 2018, a 45% increase from 2017 ($29 million).

The Effects of Cannabis Legalization on Crime Rates in Morris County

According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation Crime Data Explorer, nearly 20 thousand arrests were made for marijuana possession, while more than 3 thousand arrests were for marijuana sale and manufacturing in 2020. The legalization of recreational and medical use of cannabis was only enforced in January 2021. There is a lack of current data to compare the crime rates following the legalization of marijuana in New Jersey.

Studies have shown that after the legalization of marijuana, there is a significant decrease in crime rates. Dr. Robert Morris, an Associate Professor of Criminology, mentioned that while the legalization of marijuana does not automatically decrease crime rates, they have found no increase in crime rates consequent to marijuana legalization.