New Jersey regulators issued medical marijuana rules aimed at increasing MMJ entrepreneurial opportunities, product supply and access in a market that has more than doubled in patients since Gov. Phil Murphy took office in January 2018.
The rule changes, which are the result of an executive order from Murphy, include:
- Creating separate permits for cultivators, processors and dispensaries, thus increasing potential business opportunities. Currently, licensed dispensaries must grow their own cannabis. Recent forecasts estimated the market will need 15 additional growers and 50-90 dispensaries by 2022.
- Streamlining the process to add qualifying medical conditions to the program. The rule removes the requirement that the petitions for new qualifying conditions must first go to the Medicinal Marijuana Review Panel.
State regulators also codified some changes already in effect, including qualifying medical conditions that were previously added by Murphy’s administration.
