Cannabis Law

On July 1, 2019, the New Jersey Department of Health will open the application process for up to 108 additional cannabis licenses across the state. If you have questions about applying, please feel free to email me at hgrodberg@grodberglaw.com.

What does this mean for you?

The New Jersey Department of Health is seeking new applicants to operate up to 108 new cannabis facilities, including 24 for cultivation, 30 for manufacturing, and 54 for dispensaries. Applications are due on August 15, 2019.

The Department will disperse the licenses across the State. Up to 38 will be in the northern region, up to 38 will be located in the central region, and up to 32 will be in the southern region of New Jersey.

New ATCs to meet increased patient need

“We are at a point,” New Jersey Health Commissioner Dr. Shereef Elnahal says, “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. 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.” This expansion ties into an early announcement by the Department in March 20, 2018, when it added five additional illnesses to the list of medical conditions that qualify patients for medical marijuana.

In January 2019, the Department added one additional condition, Opioid Use Disorder. Since the addition of those conditions, which include two types of chronic pain, anxiety, migraine and Tourette’s syndrome, the program has added 30,000 new patients, bringing the total patient count to 47,500 as of today.

Permit application forms available July 1st

On July 1, 2019, application forms for permits will be available at www.nj.gov/health/medicalmarijuana. The date for announcing the awards will be based on application volume. A Request for Applications (RFA) may be accessed on the Department’s website by clicking here.

The Department will hold a pre-application webinar on July 16, 2019 to review the RFA process and the most commonly submitted questions. It also will accept written questions up to July 5, 2019 to be reviewed at the webinar. Following the webinar, the Department will post a set of Frequently Asked Questions and responses to those questions.

If you have questions about the application process or the business of cannabis in general, please click this link to email me directly at hgrodberg@grodberglaw.com to schedule a free consultation.