New Jersey Rules for Medical Marijuana

In the not too distant past, most people thought of marijuana as an illegal drug they could use to get “high,” not to improve their health. However, marijuana, in the form of a liquid tea, was used in China for medical purposes around 2737 B.C. Fast forward to the present: as of May 2021, 36 states and four territories allow the use of medical marijuana (also known as medical cannabis and medicinal marijuana), a derivative of the Cannabis sativa plant. The federal government has strict regulations about which forms of medical cannabis or medical/medicinal marijuana can be implemented for treatment in those states and territories.

How Do I Know If Medical Marijuana Is the Right Treatment for Me?

In states where medical marijuana use is allowed by law, those who wish to obtain it must get a prescription from a doctor or licensed healthcare professional. If you are suffering from an illness that causes significant pain and you believe that medical marijuana might help you to live without pain and discomfort, call upon an experienced medical professional to devise an appropriate treatment plan for you. They will determine whether medicinal marijuana should be part of that plan,

What Types of Illnesses Can Be Treated with Medicinal Marijuana in New Jersey?

In 2010, then-Governor Jon Corzine legalized the use of medical marijuana in New Jersey. It is allowed as a therapeutic treatment for a long list of ailments, but patients must be certified by their physician as suffering from one of them. Additionally, both the physician and patient must participate in the Medicinal Marijuana Program, which lists these approved conditions:

• Multiple sclerosis
• Muscular dystrophy
• Cancer
• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
• Seizure disorder, including epilepsy
• Positive status for HIV and AIDS
• Intractable skeletal spasticity
• Inflammatory bowel disease, including Crohn’s disease
• Tourette Syndrome
• Glaucoma
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
• Opioid Use Disorder
• Anxiety
• Chronic Pain
• Migraine
• Dysmenorrhea
• Terminal illness with less than a year to live

New Jersey’s Medical Marijuana Program Regulations for Patients and Health Care Providers

Once you have secured your membership in New Jersey’s Medical Marijuana Program, you should know and follow the rules set in place by the state’s Compassionate Use Medicinal Marijuana Act. Doing so will ensure that you will not experience difficulties with the law when you have medical marijuana and/or its related implements on your person.

• Patients and medical providers must always carry their ID and Medicinal Marijuana Program cards.
• Keep your medicinal marijuana in its original packaging.
• Store your medicinal marijuana at home, and travel with it only when you must do so. Law enforcement will recognize the odor of burning or raw marijuana and may become suspicious.
• If you or your caregiver must carry the marijuana outside of your home, take only the minimum amount, and keep it in its original packaging.
• You may carry paraphernalia while not at home, but only if it is for your use of medicinal marijuana.
• You and your caregiver should be cooperative and tell the truth to the police if you are questioned while carrying medicinal marijuana or paraphernalia.
• You should use medicinal marijuana only when you are at home.
• Neither you nor your caregiver may obtain marijuana from any entity except a licensed New Jersey Alternative Treatment Center.
• You and your caregiver are not allowed to give or disseminate medicinal marijuana to anyone else.
• Neither you nor your caregiver may grow or possess a marijuana plant.
• While under the influence of medicinal marijuana, patients are prohibited from driving any type of motorized vehicle.
• You may not smoke medicinal marijuana while riding on public transportation, a school bus, or when traveling in a private vehicle. Also, do not smoke medicinal marijuana on school property or at any correctional institution, public park, beach, recreation facility, or any location where smoking is not allowed.
• You and your caregiver may not carry medicinal marijuana across state lines.
• If you or your caregiver have unused or unwanted medicinal marijuana, dispose of it at an Alternative Treatment Center. When returning the marijuana, you or your caregiver must display a valid registry identification card, a New Jersey driver’s license, or other State-issued photo ID at the center, or to police.

If You are in Pain, Call the Medical Professionals at AllCare Health & Pain Today

It’s difficult enough to take care of your home and your loved ones when you feel good. Trying to attend to your daily routine or do a good job at your place of employment when you are in constant pain is almost impossible. Why accept extreme discomfort as a way of life when you can work with the best pain management professionals at AllCare Health & Pain?

We serve Jersey City, New Jersey, and the communities in the metropolitan area. Our chiropractors and physical therapists will devise a treatment plan that works for you. See why we are included in NJ’s Top Docs roster and designated as a Lifetime Member of the New Jersey PBA Physician’s Association. Call 201-386-9800 or email us today to schedule an appointment.