The Murphy administration is seeking applicants to operate up to 108 medical marijuana treatment businesses statewide, officials said Monday, in a bid to expand the program from its current number of six.
The New Jersey Department of Health said it would look for cultivators, manufacturers and dispensaries statewide.
"We are at a point where patients just cannot wait any longer for easily accessible, affordable therapy," New Jersey Health Commissioner Dr. Shereef Elnahal said in a statement.
Overall, the measure would increase the number of medical permits for cannabis operations in New Jersey from 12 to 23, allow patients to buy more than two ounces at a time, end the requirement that patients see their doctor for a year or more of regular appointments, and establish a Cannabis Regulatory Commission to oversee the implementation of the medical marijuana program.
Senate Democrats voted 33-4 to pass a bill widely expanding medical marijuana availability across New Jersey, nearly doubling the number of dispensaries from 12 to 23 and increasing the amount of medicinal weed patients could buy from two to three ounces a month. It would also regulate edible cannabis and make getting a doctor’s prescription far easier.
After years of pushing from activists frustrated with New Jersey's limited medical marijuana program, lawmakers agreed Thursday to make it easier for patients to register and to purchase and consume cannabis for medicinal purposes.
The Jake Honig Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Act, which passed the Senate by a 33-4 vote, would raise the monthly limit to 3 ounces per patient and legalize the manufacture and purchase of edible forms of medical marijuana, including food and oils.
The state Senate on Thursday is expected to pass bills that would expand the New Jersey medical marijuana program and overhaul the process of expunging criminal records in the state.
The Jake Honig Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Act would make it easier for patients to register, purchase and consume cannabis for medicinal purposes. The bill would raise the monthly limit to 3 ounces per patient, and legalize the manufacture and purchase of edible forms of medical marijuana, including food and oils.
Prospective businesses laid the groundwork in anticipation that lawmakers would legalize the recreational use of marijuana in New Jersey.
They scouted locations, talked with municipal officials and worked with consultants. Some even secured real estate.
But with a recreational market now still a ways off as legislators abandoned ship on their efforts to legalize it, these prospective businesses now feel let down. However, their time and expense haven’t necessarily been squandered by the measure’s apparent demise, experts said.
The effort comes amid stalled legislation to legalize recreational marijuana. Murphy this week declined to say whether he'd support the medical marijuana legislation.
Under the expansion, the number of cultivators' licenses would increase to 23. Currently, there are six treatment centers, with six more planned.
The measure also establishes a five-person commission to oversee the program. Currently it's overseen by the Health Department.
New Jersey's Democrat-led Senate is set to vote on a bill expanding medical marijuana services.
The marijuana bill has passed the Democrat-controlled Assembly and would head to Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy's desk if passed Thursday.
The Senate also scheduled a vote on legislation to make it easier for convicts to clear their records. The Assembly is considering a similar bill but has not yet voted on it.
The state Legislature failed to send bills to Gov. Phil Murphy’s desk before the Memorial Day weekend that would have set up an expungement process for cannabis-related criminal offenses and dramatically expand the state’s medical marijuana program.
Marijuana legalization is likely to be on the ballot in 2020 after New Jersey legislators fell just short of the required votes to make the state the 10th in the country to legalize and establish a marketplace. Legislators are reluctant to put the issue on this year’s ballot because the 2020 general election is sure to turn out more voters. For now, the hopes of New Jersey pot consumers and entrepreneurs for legalization are up in smoke.