How To Get a Medical Marijuana Card in New Jersey

The legalization of medical marijuana in New Jersey occurred in 2010, with the introduction of the Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Act (CUMMA). In 2019, medical marijuana was further improved, thanks to the Jake Honig Act. The state then went ahead to legalize recreational marijuana in 2021, with retail sales commencing in April 2022.

Although recreational marijuana is accessible to persons aged 21 and above, there are additional benefits to being under the NJMCP program. These include tax-free marijuana, access starting at 18 years old, and the ability to have a caregiver.

The Cannabis Regulatory Commission of New Jersey (CRC) manages the NJMCP by managing patient registration, enrolling caregivers, registering providers, and overseeing licensed dispensaries (ATC).

• Website: nj.gov/cannabis/medicinalcannabis
• Patient portal: Can be accessed using the NJMCP registration page at nj.gov 

Patient registration requires:

• Being a New Jersey resident
• Being at least 18 years old (minors may be eligible with the consent of their parent/legal guardian and other criteria)
• Being diagnosed with a qualifying illness by a healthcare professional registered with the NJMCP in New Jersey
• Having a genuine relationship between the healthcare professional and the patient, with the professional having the ongoing responsibility to treat the qualifying condition.

There are no felony exclusions from eligibility within New Jersey’s program.

Provider certification requires that the provider be registered under the NJMCP and have an active, unrestricted medical license, as well as a CDS registration from the state of New Jersey. Qualifications for the provider include being a licensed MD/DO, PA, and/or an APN.

New Jersey maintains a defined list of qualifying conditions. Recognized conditions include:

• Anxiety disorders
• ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis)
• Cancer and its treatment-related symptoms
• Chronic pain
• Crohn’s disease and inflammatory bowel disease
• Epilepsy and seizure disorders
• Glaucoma
• HIV/AIDS
• Multiple sclerosis and muscle spasms
• Muscular dystrophy
• PTSD
• Parkinson’s disease
• Terminal illness
• Tourette’s syndrome

The CRC may add new conditions through a public petition process reviewed by the New Jersey Medicinal Cannabis Review Panel.

Step 1: Get an Authorizing Provider Statement

Find a New Jersey medical practitioner who is registered under the NJMCP. Telemedicine is also allowed. After examining you, your healthcare provider will then give you a statement called an Authorizing Healthcare Practitioner Statement with a Reference ID and Registry ID. These two will be used to register for the NJMCP patient portal.

Step 2: Create Your NJMCP Account

Go to the NJMCP website, which is nj.gov/cannabis/medicinalcannabis. Then, using the information provided by your doctor, set up your patient account. 

Step 3: Upload Required Documents

For registration, you need to upload the following:

• Proof of identity and residency in New Jersey state, either through the means of a current New Jersey driver’s license that shows your current address, or any non-driver ID issued by the Motor Vehicle Commission, with proof of your current address. Alternatively, two documents proving your residency in New Jersey must be uploaded. 
• Passport-size photograph 
• Proof of financial aid (optional)

Step 4: Select Your Preferred Dispensary (ATC)

During registration, select your preferred Alternative Treatment Center (ATC). You may change this later through your patient portal.

Step 5: Pay the Fee and Receive Your Card

If you are accepted (in up to 30 days), you will be informed via email about how to get paid.

Fees:

• Digital card: Free – immediately after being approved
• Physical card: $10 – mailed to you in 7 to 10 business days
• Minors and their parents/legal guardians: No fees apply to your card

Your card (physical/digital) will remain valid for two years. But you need to be recertified annually by your provider, even if your card remains valid for two years. Your digital card is free for all patients and will be activated immediately after being approved.

Show your registry card (either a digital or physical copy) at any licensed ATC dispensary in New Jersey; there is no restriction that you can only visit your registered dispensary.

Possession and Purchase Limits

Medical patients can get up to 85 grams of marijuana every month, which is equivalent to the maximum limit for recreational use. But medical patients do not have to pay any sales tax, which results in a considerable saving.

Home Cultivation

Growing cannabis plants at home is strictly prohibited in New Jersey for both medical patients and recreational users.

Benefits Over Recreational Access

• Purchases are tax-free – no sales tax on the sale of medical marijuana in New Jersey.
• Aged eighteen access – recreational marijuana means you have to be twenty-one years old.
• Help from caregivers – a patient can appoint caregivers who will buy marijuana for them.
• HIPAA-compliant confidentiality – records are protected from employers and insurance companies

Patients enroll caregivers into NJMCP via the NJMCP portal. Patients’ caregivers have to be 18+ years old, resident of New Jersey, and not the patient’s certifying practitioner. Unless they are the patient’s family members, they will need to undergo a fingerprint-based criminal background check. Digital cards are issued free of charge, while paper cards cost $10. Minors can have two caregivers maximum, and parents/guardians do not need to obtain cards and therefore do not pay any fees.

NJMCP out-of-state cardholders can acquire a 6-month temporary non-renewable NJMCP card after consulting an NJ-certified provider and presenting a valid home state medical marijuana card.

The validity of cards is two years. However, an annual re-certification of the patient’s provider is necessary. If you fail to recertify with your provider, the card becomes inactive even before its expiry. The process of renewal is similar to that of obtaining the first card. Additionally, you will get automatic email notifications 30 and 60 days before expiry.

• You will receive Reference ID and Registry ID from your provider – you need both to register.
• Digital card comes free – but for a physical card, you’ll have to pay $10
• Cards are valid for 2 years and must be certified annually by your provider
• Purchases made using medical cannabis are entirely tax-exempt
• Growing cannabis at home isn’t allowed
• You can obtain a temporary card if you’re an out-of-state patient
• Caregivers must get their fingerprints on record (unless an immediate family member)