Title:
New Jersey patients begin registering for medical marijuana program
Message:
After waiting more than two and a half years, patients in New Jersey are finally beginning to register for the state’s tightly regulated Medical Marijuana Program (MMP). The state health department reports that the patient registry was opened August 9, allowing qualified patients and caregivers to begin signing up to receive ID cards that will protect them from arrest.
Unlike other states with medical marijuana laws in effect, only doctors who register with the state are allowed to qualify patients for New Jersey’s program. The department reports that approximately 150 doctors in 20 counties are registered. Information on how to find a doctor who can qualify patients for the MMP is available here.
New Jersey law does not allow patients or caregivers to cultivate medical marijuana, so patients must designate an Alternative Treatment Center (ATC) to supply them. The law allows for six ATCs, but only one is expected to open soon (Greenleaf Compassion Center in Montclair).
Implementation of the MMP has been very slow, and many patients and advocates feel the regulations are overly restrictive. However, the opening of the patient registry should be welcomed as a definite sign of progress!
