The most glaring omission, activists argue, is that growing cannabis without a license remains a felony, a third-degree crime with a maximum five-year prison sentence for growing just one plant.
"Home grow" language was included in the state's original medical marijuana bill in 2010, but was a late cut before the legislation was passed and signed into law.
New Jersey's patient advocates have spent the last decade pushing for the right to grow cannabis at home, which activists say would provide a far cheaper option than simply purchasing the state-allotted 3 ounces per month.
A quarter-ounce of medical marijuana was selling for $90 at Zen Leaf Neptune, the state's newest dispensary, as of Tuesday morning.
"Right now, someone is dying out in pain because they don't have the medicine they need because they can't afford it," said Jim Miller, a Toms River activist who pushed for medical marijuana in the 1990s and 2000s and now advocates for home grow. "There's more to be done."