New Jersey Medical Marijuana Patient Information

What Conditions Can Medical Marijuana Be Used for in New Jersey?

Any new participant in the state's medical marijuana program must be certified by a New Jersey-licensed physician to be having any of these debilitating medical conditions:

• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: ALS, as it is commonly known, is a neurological disease that affects an individual's voluntary muscles. Patients suffer the loss of muscle control and exhibit symptoms such as slurred speech, weakness in the legs, feet, ankles, weakness in the hands, difficulty walking, and inappropriate and uncontrollable crying or laughing.
• Anxiety: Anxiety disorder is an intense feeling of fear that consumes an individual and may interfere with such an individual's daily activities. There are different types of anxiety disorders, with patients exhibiting similar symptoms, including increased heart rate, restlessness, insomnia, and trouble concentration. Medical marijuana eases patients' anxiety and helps to regain regular sleep patterns.
• Cancer: Cancer is the unwanted and uncontrollable growth of certain cells in the body. This growth of damaged cells multiplies and spreads to other parts of the body. Patients with cancer typically exhibit nausea, chronic pain, vomiting, loss of appetite, and reduced body weight. Medical marijuana helps to alleviate these symptoms.
• Chronic pain: Chronic pain is any pain that lasts for more than 12 weeks. Typically, most pains subside as the causal injury tends to heal. However, with chronic pain, the body keeps sending pain signals to the brain even after an injury heals. Medical marijuana helps to ease the chronic pain patients feel.
• Dysmenorrrhea: Dysmenorrhea refers to the chronic pain associated with menstruation. There are two types of dysmenorrhea, primary and secondary. Primary dysmenorrhea refers to the recurring chronic pain that occurs during menstruation. Patients usually feel the pain around their lower back, abdomen, and thighs days before or on the actual day menstruation starts. Other symptoms patients may experience include nausea, vomiting, fatigue, and sometimes diarrhea. Secondary dysmenorrhea also refers to pains associated with menstruation, but other factors cause these pains. Usually, infections or disorders in the female reproductive organs cause these pains. Another difference between the two types is that patients do not experience any other symptoms apart from chronic pain. Medical marijuana helps to ease such pains and alleviate other symptoms such as nausea and vomiting.
• Glaucoma: This refers to the damage caused to the optic nerves when fluids build up in the eyes. The build-up of fluids exerts pressure on the optic nerves that damage it, disrupting the signals sent to the brain. Medical marijuana alleviates the pain caused by the build-up of pressure and also eases the pressure to bring relief to patients.
• Inflammatory bowel diseases (Including Crohn's Disease): Inflammatory bowel diseases refer to inflammation of the digestive tracts. This inflammation occurs when the body's immune system attacks the bowels and causes inflammation. Symptoms usually include chronic pain, loss of appetite, and weight loss. Medical marijuana helps to ease the accompanying pain and stimulate hunger in patients.
• Intractable skeletal spasticity: This is a condition where patients feel recurring stiffness and tightness around the muscles. It usually occurs when another condition, such as multiple sclerosis, already affects the central nervous system. Patients with intractable skeletal spasticity often experience slurred speech, muscle stiffness, involuntary knee jerks, deformity of the muscles, and other such symptoms. Medical marijuana helps patients alleviate these symptoms.
• Migraine: Migraine refers to recurring and excessive headaches that occur in stages and last longer than regular headaches. Patients experience different symptoms before, during, and after every migraine episode. Medical marijuana relieves the pain of patients with migraines experience.
• Multiple Sclerosis: Multiple sclerosis is a condition that occurs when hyperactivity of the immune system causes it to attack and damage the myelin, which protects the nerve fibers. The symptoms patients experience depend on the extent of the damage done to the nerves, including the loss of the ability to walk independently.
• Muscular dystrophy: This refers to a group of diseases, usually hereditary, that damage and weakens the muscles over a long period. There are different types of these diseases with varying symptoms.
• Opioid Use Disorder: Opioid use disorder refers to the dependence and addiction to a specific category of drugs called opioids. These drugs help patients overcome pain feelings and include prescription pain relief pills, synthetic opioids, and heroin. Addiction to these drugs has severe consequences, including nausea, drowsiness, constipation, and respiration problems. Physicians help addicts of opioids overcome their addiction by substituting the medications with medical marijuana. It serves as a competent pain reliever with lesser adverse effects.
• Positive status for Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS): HIV and AIDS are autoimmune diseases that ensure the immune system offers the body lesser or no protection against other harmful viruses and bacteria. This leaves the affected individual vulnerable to several illnesses and exhibiting several symptoms. Medical marijuana helps to alleviate these symptoms.
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): This is an anxiety disorder affecting persons with previous life-threatening and traumatic experiences. They often get flashbacks of the incidents, which sends them into anxiety. Medical marijuana eases such anxiety.
• Seizure disorder (Epilepsy included): Seizures are the sudden and usually violent reaction of the body to an abrupt spike in the brain's electric activity. The body responds to this sudden increase in electric activity by shaking uncontrollably. Medical marijuana helps seizure patients by decreasing the number of times they experience seizures.
• Terminal illness with diagnosis showing less than 12 months to live: New Jersey also approved the use of medical marijuana for patients diagnosed with terminal diseases and having only one year to live.
• Tourette Syndrome: Tourette Syndrome is a nervous disorder that causes affected individuals to have uncontrollable and involuntary motor and vocal activities. The patients make movements like the blinking of the eyes or making unusual sounds. Medical marijuana helps to reduce the number of spontaneous activities patients experience.

What Does an MMJ Card Permit in New Jersey?

Medical marijuana in New Jersey is packaged in quarter, and half-ounce sizes and dosage recommendations are made by the patient's physician. However, a medical marijuana card in New Jersey permits the cardholder to possess a maximum of three ounces of medical marijuana products, over 30 days. Medical marijuana products include buds, flowers, topicals, oils, edibles, concentrates, and oral lozenges.

How Long is a New Jersey Medical Marijuana Card Valid?

A New Jersey medical marijuana patient registration is valid for 24 months, from the date of approval. During this period, qualifying patients and caregivers are protected from arrest or prosecution for possessing medical marijuana. Qualifying patients and caregivers are also able to buy medical marijuana products from any of the state-approved ATCs, during this period.

Does New Jersey have Medical Marijuana Reciprocity?

The medical marijuana program in New Jersey was expanded in 2019 via a new bill, A20, which introduced the following specifications for medical marijuana reciprocity. Registered out-of-state medical marijuana patients will receive reciprocity in New Jersey for up to six months while visiting the state. In that period, a patient can possess and use medical marijuana in quantities compliant with the laws of New Jersey and the patient's home state. Patients can also purchase medical marijuana from licensed dispensaries if they obtain authorization from a New Jersey state-approved medical practitioner under New Jersey's program. Patients who violate the requirements of the provisions of the bill may be arrested and prosecuted for unlawful possession of controlled substances.

Is an MMIC Valid in Other New Jersey Counties?

New Jersey medical marijuana cards are issued by the State Department of Health. As such, a valid cardholder can purchase, possess, and use medical marijuana in any county in the State of New Jersey.

Is an MMIC Valid in Other New Jersey Counties?

New Jersey medical marijuana cards are issued by the State Department of Health. As such, a valid cardholder can purchase, possess, and use medical marijuana in any county in the State of New Jersey.

Does New Jersey Recognize MMJ Cards issued by Another State?

Yes. New Jersey operates a reciprocity program that recognizes valid out-of-state medical marijuana cards. Out-of-state patients with valid medical marijuana may enjoy the same benefits as home patients for up to six months while visiting New Jersey. During that time, they can possess and use medical marijuana without any criminal or civil repercussions. However, the patients must be compliant with both the laws of New Jersey and their home state to enjoy these protections.

Does a New Jersey MMIC Protect Me Under Federal Law?

No. Federal law prohibits the distribution and possession of controlled substances and marijuana is listed as a Schedule 1 substance. Consequently, a New Jersey medical marijuana identification card will not protect patients, if they are found to have violated federal regulations.