The New Jersey Department of Health announced on Monday a series of amendments to the state’s medical marijuana rules used in the implementation the Compassionate Use of Medical Marijuana Act, which became law on January 18, 2010.
The changes are in response to Governor Phil Murphy’s Order #6, which gave the Department of Health and the Board of Medical Examiners 60 days to review and assess all aspects of New Jersey’s medical cannabis program and focus on making improvements and expanding access to it.
There are currently more than 46,000 patients, 900 doctors, and 1,850 caregivers participating in the state’s medical cannabis program.
“These rules solidify key program reforms to ensure greater patient access to this effective therapy,” said Health Commissioner Dr. Shereef Elnahal. “With these changes, the Department will be able to add conditions more rapidly, remove barriers for minors and increase supply of product available.”
Some of the amendments codify changes that are already in effect, including reductions in patient and caregiver registration fees from $200 to $100 ($20 for veterans and seniors.), and the addition of six conditions to the list of qualifying conditions; anxiety, chronic pain of visceral origin, chronic pain related to musculoskeletal disorders, migraines, Tourette syndrome, and Opioid Use Disorder.
The new rules expand the available forms of cannabis oil to include vape cartridges as well.
The changes also remove the requirement that petitions for new qualifying conditions be submitted first to the Medical Marijuana Review Panel, and minors are no longer required to undergo a psychiatric evaluation to obtain medicinal cannabis certification.
