New Jersey

1 December, 2019

Status: Medical only

History:

2010: Medical cannabis legalised
2017: Liberalised medical cannabis laws by adding more conditions that qualify for medical cannabis treatment
2017 and 2019: Failed attempts at legalising cannabis for recreational use

Policy Framework:

  • Patients must be diagnosed with a qualifying condition to obtain medical cannabis;
  • Medical cannabis can only be obtained from a state-licenced “alternate treatment" centres;
  • Caregivers for patients are permitted to collect medical cannabis for card-holding patients but must undergo criminal background checks;
  • Patients may possess up to 3oz (85g) per month;
  • Patients are not permitted to cultivate their own cannabis at home;
  • Possession of cannabis for recreational use is a crime punishable by up to 1.5 years in prison and fines of up to $US25,000;
  • Distribution of any amount of cannabis is a crime punishable by up to 20 years in prison and fines of up to $US300,000;
  • Cultivation of cannabis is a crime punishable by up to 20 years in prison and fines of up to $US300,000;
  • There are an estimated 51,000 registered medical cannabis patients in New Jersey, according to the New Jersey Department of Health.

Outcomes:

  • Between 2005 and 2017, cannabis use disorder in people over the age of 12 decreased from 1.4% to 1.0%;
  • In 2018, sales of medical marijuana reached $US37 million.

New Jersey3

Source: https://crime-data-explorer.fr.cloud.gov/explorer/state/new-jersey/crime

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