Being part of NJ’s medicinal marijuana program will soon be free … for some

⚫ Participation in NJ's medical marijuana program is falling fast

⚫ The price to register/renew is much lower, effective now

⚫ Registration/renewal will soon be free for certain patients

New Jersey is lowering the cost of being part of its medicinal marijuana program, likely in an attempt to keep participation numbers from continuing to fall.

For some patients, there will be no cost at all.

In its final public meeting of the year, the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission voted to approve a reduction in both registration fees and renewal fees, for cannabis patients and their caregivers.

As of Dec. 7, the price for registering and renewing is $10 for two years, down from $50 for most registrants and $20 for seniors and others that qualified for reduced fees.

At one point, registration cost $200 every two years.

"Many patients face barriers to accessing treatment due to costs, like paying out of pocket for doctor's visits and the cost of cannabis," said Jeff Brown, the commission's executive director. "NJ-CRC is doing everything in our power to eliminate as many barriers as possible to ensure those who can benefit from cannabis treatment remain in the program."

As of mid-November, New Jersey's patient count was just under 94,000. The number has dropped every single month since May 2022, the month after recreational marijuana became legal in the Garden State. In May 2022, the number of medicinal marijuana patients was higher than 129,000, according to state data.

Digital ID

Early next year, the commission will roll out an initiative that makes registration and renewal completely free for certain patients.

Free digital ID cards, as an alternative to physical Medicinal Cannabis Program cards, are going out to any patient or caregiver that opts for a digital-only patient ID. And once those cards become available, registration and renewable will be free for the digital-only opt-ins.

The $10 cost would only apply to those who wish to have a physical card.

There's a $5 fee to replace one's card.

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