Senate Bill 119
Approved: Jan. 11, 2010 by House, 48-14; by Senate, 25-13
Signed into law by Gov. Jon Corzine on Jan. 18, 2010
Effective: Six months from enactment

Protects “patients who use marijuana to alleviate suffering from debilitating medical conditions, as well as their physicians, primary caregivers, and those who are authorized to produce marijuana for medical purposes” from “arrest, prosecution, property forfeiture, and criminal and other penalties.”

Also provides for the creation of alternative treatment centers, “at least two each in the northern, central, and southern regions of the state. The first two centers issued a permit in each region shall be nonprofit entities, and centers subsequently issued permits may be nonprofit or for-profit entities.”

Approved Conditions: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig’s disease); multiple sclerosis; terminal cancer; muscular dystrophy; inflammatory bowel disease, including Crohn’s disease; terminal illness, if the physician has determined a prognosis of less than 12 months of life.

The following conditions apply if conventional therapy is unsuccessful: Seizure disorder, including epilepsy; intractable skeletal muscular spasticity; glaucoma.

The following conditions, if severe or chronic pain, severe nausea or vomiting, cachexia, or wasting syndrome results from the condition or treatment: Positive status for HIV/AIDS; cancer.

Possession/Cultivation: Physicians determine how much marijuana a patient needs and give written instructions to be presented to an alternative treatment center. The maximum amount for a 30-day period is two ounces.

Amended:SB 2842
Signed into law by Gov. Chris Christie on Sep. 10, 2013 following legislative adoption of his conditional veto

Allows edible forms of marijuana only for qualifying minors, who must receive approval from a pediatrician and a psychiatrist.

Updates:
S119 was supposed to become effective six months after it was enacted on Jan. 18, 2010, but the legislature, DHHS, and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie had difficulty coming to agreement on the details of how the program would be run.

The New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services released draft rules outlining the registration and application process on Oct. 6, 2010. A public hearing to discuss the proposed rules was held on Dec. 6, 2010 at the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services, according to the New Jersey Register.

On Dec. 20, 2011, Senator Nicholas Scutari (D), lead sponsor of the medical marijuana bill, submitted Senate Concurrent Resolution (SCR) 140 declaring that the “Board of Medical Examiners proposed medicinal marijuana program rules are inconsistent with legislative intent.” The New Jersey Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens committee held a public hearing to discuss SCR 140 and a similar bill, SCR 130, on Jan. 20, 2010.

On Feb. 3, 2011, the Department of Health proposed new rules that streamlined the permit process for cultivating and dispensing, prohibited home delivery by alternative treatment centers, and required that “conditions originally named in the Act be resistant to conventional medical therapy in order to qualify as debilitating medical conditions.”

On Aug. 9, 2012, the New Jersey Medical Marijuana Program opened the patient registration system on its website. Patients must have a physician’s recommendation, a government-issued ID, and proof of New Jersey residency to register. The first dispensary is expected to be licensed to open in September.

On Oct. 16, 2012, the Department of Health issued the first dispensary permit to Greenleaf Compassion Center, allowing it to operate as an Alternative Treatment Center and dispense marijuana. The center opened on Dec. 6, 2012, becoming New Jersey’s first dispensary.