New Jersey
Status: In New Jersey, all individuals with a legal prescription may be in possession of marijuana, and state licensed businesses may grow, process, transport, and dispense medical marijuana. Recreational marijuana legislation is in the works.
| CBD Program | Medical Program | Recreational Program | Are Applications Open? |
| Legal | Legal | Not legal | closed |
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Number of New Jersey Licenses Available
| Dispensaries | Cultivation | Manufacturing/Processing | Transportation |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
You can read the full text of the New Jersey law at: New Jersey Department of Health Website
New Jersey Medical Marijuana Cultivation Guidelines
As the program was established in 2010, a vertically-integrated Alternative Treatment Center license authorized a licensee to cultivate, process, and dispense medical marijuana for registered patients. The state awarded six ATCs in 2011, and an additional six ATCs in 2018.
With the submission of an executive order from Governor Phil Murphy in May 2019, Alternative Treatment Center (ATC) licenses may now have specialty endorsements for cultivation, processing, or dispensing.
ATC, Cultivation Endorsement – a permit endorsement that allows an ATC to possess, cultivate, plant, grow, harvest, and package usable marijuana (including in pre-rolled forms); and display, transfer, transport, distribute, supply, or sell marijuana to other ATCs, but not directly to registered qualifying patients.
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- Cultivation endorsements are tiered by canopy size to allow for small, medium, and large business participation. the Department will seek to issue cultivation endorsements in the following tiers of canopy size:
- 20,001 square feet to 30,000 square feet: up to 2 cultivation endorsements
- 5,001 square feet to 20,000 square feet: up to 2 cultivation endorsements
- Up to 5,000 square feet: up to 1 cultivation endorsement.
- Cultivation endorsements are tiered by canopy size to allow for small, medium, and large business participation. the Department will seek to issue cultivation endorsements in the following tiers of canopy size:
Application Fees: All applications require a $20,000 application fee in the form of two payments, one $18,000 check and one $2,000 check. If an application is unsuccessful, the Department will keep the $2,000 check and destroy the $18,000 check.
Applications were due August 22, 2019, and the Department is not seeking additional cultivation endorsements at this time.
REQUIRED NEW JERSEY MARIJUANA BUSINESS PLANS FOR CULTIVATION APPLICATION:
- Cultivation Plan Template
- Environmental Plan Template
- Financial Plan Template
- Fire Safety Plan Template
- Inventory Control Plan Template
- Product Safety Plan Template
- Security Plan Template
- Staffing Plan Template
- Suitability of Proposed Plan Template
- Transportation Plan Template
RECOMMENDED NEW JERSEY MARIJUANA BUSINESS PLANS FOR CULTIVATION APPLICATION:
New Jersey Medical Marijuana Manufacturer Guidelines
As the program was established in 2010, a vertically-integrated Alternative Treatment Center license authorized a licensee to cultivate, process, and dispense medical marijuana for registered patients. The state awarded six ATCs in 2011, and an additional six ATCs in 2018.
With the submission of an executive order from Governor Phil Murphy in May 2019, Alternative Treatment Center (ATC) licenses may now have specialty endorsements for cultivation, processing, or dispensing.
ATC, Manufacturing Endorsement – a permit endorsement that allows an ATC to possess and process usable marijuana; purchase usable marijuana from other ATCs possessing a cultivating endorsement; manufacture products containing marijuana approved by the Department; conduct research and develop products containing marijuana for approval by the Department; and to display, transfer, transport, distribute, supply, or sell marijuana and products containing marijuana to other ATCs, but not directly to registered qualifying patients.
The Department is not seeking manufacturing endorsements at this time.
REQUIRED NEW JERSEY MARIJUANA BUSINESS PLANS FOR MANUFACTURER APPLICATION:
- Manufacturing/Processing Plan Template
- Environmental Plan Template
- Financial Plan Template
- Fire Safety Plan Template
- Inventory Control Plan Template
- Product Safety Plan Template
- Security Plan Template
- Staffing Plan Template
- Suitability of Proposed Plan Template
- Transportation Plan Template
RECOMMENDED NEW JERSEY MARIJUANA BUSINESS PLANS FOR MANUFACTURER APPLICATION:
New Jersey Medical Marijuana Dispensary Guidelines
As the program was established in 2010, a vertically-integrated Alternative Treatment Center license authorized a licensee to cultivate, process, and dispense medical marijuana for registered patients. The state awarded six ATCs in 2011, and an additional six ATCs in 2018.
With the submission of an executive order from Governor Phil Murphy in May 2019, Alternative Treatment Center (ATC) licenses may now have specialty endorsements for cultivation, processing, or dispensing.
ATC, Dispensary Endorsement – a permit endorsement that allows an ATC to purchase usable marijuana and products containing marijuana from other ATCs authorized to cultivate or manufacture usable marijuana or products containing marijuana; and possess, display, supply, sell, and dispense, usable marijuana and/or products containing marijuana, to registered qualifying patients.
Application Fees: All applications require a $20,000 application fee in the form of two payments, one $18,000 check and one $2,000 check. If an application is unsuccessful, the Department will keep the $2,000 check and destroy the $18,000 check.
Applications are due August 21, 2019, and the Department is not seeking additional dispensary endorsements at this time.
REQUIRED NEW JERSEY MARIJUANA BUSINESS PLANS FOR DISPENSARY APPLICATION:
- Business & Operations Plan Template
- Cultivation Plan Template
- Manufacturing/Processing Plan Template
- Environmental Plan Template
- Financial Plan Template
- Fire Safety Plan Template
- Inventory Control Plan Template
- Patient Education Plan Template
- Patient Recordkeeping Plan Template
- Product Safety Plan Template
- Security Plan Template
- Staffing Plan Template
- Suitability of Proposed Plan Template
- Transportation Plan Template
RECOMMENDED NEW JERSEY MARIJUANA BUSINESS PLANS FOR DISPENSARY APPLICATION:
New Jersey Medical Marijuana Vertically Integrated ATC Guidelines
As the program was established in 2010, a vertically-integrated Alternative Treatment Center license authorized a licensee to cultivate, process, and dispense medical marijuana for registered patients. The state awarded six ATCs in 2011, and an additional six ATCs in 2018.
Vertically Integrated Permit – means a permit issued by the Department that includes a cultivation endorsement, a manufacturing endorsement, and a dispensary endorsement.
Applications were due August 22, 2019, and the Department is not seeking additional vertically integrated permits at this time.
REQUIRED NEW JERSEY MARIJUANA BUSINESS PLANS FOR DISPENSARY APPLICATION:
- Business & Operations Plan Template
- Environmental Plan Template
- Financial Plan Template
- Fire Safety Plan Template
- Inventory Control Plan Template
- Patient Education Plan Template
- Patient Recordkeeping Plan Template
- Product Safety Plan Template
- Security Plan Template
- Staffing Plan Template
- Suitability of Proposed Plan Template
- Transportation Plan Template
RECOMMENDED NEW JERSEY MARIJUANA BUSINESS PLANS FOR DISPENSARY APPLICATION:
The History of New Jersey Marijuana
Medical Marijuana Overview:
In 2010, New Jersey legalized medical marijuana use for registered patients suffering from qualifying medical conditions. Patients obtain medical marijuana from an Alternative Treatment Center (ATC). The state awarded six ATCs in 2011, and an additional six ATCs in 2018.
On March 27, 2018, Gov. Phil Murphy made the following immediate changes to New Jersey’s current Medical Marijuana program:
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- Anxiety, migraines, Tourette’s syndrome, chronic pain related to musculoskeletal disorders and chronic visceral pain were added as qualifying conditions
- The patient fee was reduced 50%
- The existing 5 medical marijuana treatment centers may open satellite locations
- Murphy said to address supply, he’s proposing changing regulations to let treatment centers specialize in specific areas, like cultivating, dispensing or manufacturing
- Murphy stated he views the state’s medical marijuana program strictly as a health issue, and he is still pushing for recreational legalization
Governor Phil Murphy then gave the state Legislature until the end of May 2019 to pass a pair of linked bills (SB 10 and SB 2703) to legalize recreational marijuana as well as expand the state’s current medical marijuana program. Otherwise, he said he’ll have no choice but to expand the medical marijuana program on his own to reach more patients.
Governor Murphy kept his word and submitted an executive order in May 2019 to amend the state’s medical marijuana program rules in order to increase medical marijuana entrepreneurial opportunities, product supply, and patient access. The rule changes include establishing separate specialty permits for cultivators, processors, and dispensaries as well as streamlining the process to add qualifying medical conditions to the program. The rule removes the requirement that the petitions for new qualifying conditions must first go to the Medicinal Marijuana Review Panel. State regulators also codified some changes already in effect, including qualifying medical conditions that were previously added by Murphy’s administration.
Additionally, Murphy signed the Jake Honig Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Act into law, which would also make various changes to the state’s current program and present new business opportunities. This bill will make the following changes:
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- Remove the requirement for patients to have a bona fide relationship with their doctor, which usually means one year of appointments, before their doctor is able to recommend medical marijuana as a treatment for them. With the removal of this requirement, the process for recommending patients will become much quicker and more simplified.
- Establish a new Cannabis Regulatory Commission to regulate the program
- Legalize home delivery of medical marijuana to registered patients
- Allow dispensaries to establish “consumption areas” on premises.
- Call for the licensing of 11 new cultivation centers to meet the growing patient demand
On July 1, 2019, the Department of Health released an updated Request for Applications for 24 additional ATCs. Applications were due August 21, 2019 for dispensary endorsements, and August 22, 2019 for cultivation endorsements and vertically integrated permits. The ATCs will have three endorsement/permit types: cultivation, dispensing, and vertically integrated permits. Vertically integrated permits include 1 cultivation endorsement, 1 manufacturing endorsement and 1 dispensary endorsement. In total, the Department will issue up to 5 cultivation endorsements, up to 15 dispensary endorsements, and up to 4 vertically integrated permits.
Read the full Medical Marijuana Act: http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/2008/Bills/PL09/307_.HTM
Qualifying Medical Conditions: Seizure disorder, including epilepsy; intractable skeletal muscular spasticity; or glaucoma; if severe or chronic pain, severe nausea or vomiting, cachexia, or wasting syndrome results from the condition or treatment thereof: positive status for human immunodeficiency virus, acquired immune deficiency syndrome, or cancer; amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, multiple sclerosis, terminal cancer, muscular dystrophy, or inflammatory bowel disease, including Crohn’s disease; terminal illness, if the physician has determined a prognosis of less than 12 months of life; Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder; anxiety; migraines; Tourette’s syndrome; chronic pain related to musculoskeletal disorders and chronic visceral pain; Opioid Use Disorder
Medical Marijuana Program Timeline:
June 3, 2019 – Department releases RFP for additional ATCs, begins accepting RFA questions
July 1, 2019 – Department begins accepting applications
July 5, 2019 – Deadline to submit RFA questions
July 16, 2019 – Pre-application webinar
August 15, 2019 – Application submission deadline
Recreational Marijuana Overview:
In the beginning of June 2018, New Jersey lawmakers introduced two new bills (SB 10 and SB 2703) to expand the state’s current medical marijuana program and legalize recreational marijuana legalization. The proposed medical marijuana expansion bill, SB 10, and the proposed recreational marijuana legalization bill, SB 2703, would move away from the state’s current, vertically integrated licensing structure of Alternative Treatment Centers and establish a segregated licensing structure of growers, processors, and retailers.
Governor Phil Murphy gave the state Legislature until the end of May 2019 to pass the pair of linked bills (SB 10 and SB 2703) to legalize recreational marijuana as well as expand the state’s current medical marijuana program. Otherwise, he said he’ll have no choice but to expand the medical marijuana program on his own to reach more patients.
Governor Murphy kept his word and submitted an executive order in the last week of May 2019 to amend the state’s medical marijuana program rules in order to increase medical marijuana entrepreneurial opportunities, product supply, and patient access. With this action, focus from state officials has switched from recreational legalization to bettering the state’s existing medical program. While marijuana legalization will not happen this legislative session, the future remains extremely hopeful as much progress has been made and as Murphy still promises to bring legalization to New Jersey.