Medical Marijuana
On January 8, 2010, New Jersey approved the New Jersey Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Act (CUMMA). This piece of legislation laid out general guidelines for the state to initial a medical marijuana program. Although the initial implementation of the Medical Marijuana Program (MMP) only served a fraction of New Jersey’s residents, amendments to the legislation over the last few years have added more medical conditions to qualify patients.
Some of the conditions that qualify for the MMP are:
- Anxiety
- Chronic Pain due to Musculoskeletal Disorders
- Chronic Pain of Visceral Origin
- Glaucoma
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease
- Intractable Skeletal Spasticity
- Lateral Sclerosis
- Migraine
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Muscular Dystrophy
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- Seizure Disorder
- Severe or Chronic Pain
- Terminal Cancer
- Terminal Illness
- Tourette’s Syndrome
Additionally, there are limitations as to when and where a patient can consume medical marijuana. For example, the law recommends a patient consume medical marijuana at home. A patient is also highly encouraged to only travel with a portion of their medical marijuana that is necessary, and the product must be in its original packaging. The MMP also outlines that a patient may not operate a motor vehicle or heavy machinery when under the influence of medical marijuana.
Is Recreational Marijuana Legal?
As of March 15, 2019, recreational marijuana is still illegal in the state of New Jersey. However, a great deal of progress has been made by the state’s legislative bodies to work toward law that would legalize the use of recreational marijuana. In fact, a major legislative deal may be approved before the beginning of April 2019. With legislation pending, specifics about regulations have not yet been made available.
Questions About Marijuana in New Jersey?
The lines between legal and illegal marijuana are set forth in the laws of New Jersey as well as federal law. However, these laws are constantly challenged. Contact an attorney here in order to get clarification regarding marijuana and the law.