“We are at a point where patients just cannot wait any longer for easily accessible, affordable therapy. This request for applications allows for specialization of businesses to increase medical product in our state,” said New Jersey Health Commissioner Dr. Shereef Elnahal. “In addition, by allowing for three sizes of cultivation endorsements (5,000 square feet, 20,000 square feet and 30,000 square feet), we are increasing opportunities for small and medium-sized businesses to participate in the program.”
Applications for ATCs will be assessed based on the needs for each region, patient need, and the general population of the state and its regions.
With the addition of five new illnesses in March 2018 to the list of medical conditions that qualify patients for medical marijuana, as well as the addition of Opioid Use Disorder in January 2019, the state’s medical marijuana program has expanded greatly. Since the addition of those conditions, the program has added 30,000 new patients, bringing the total patient count to 47,500.