July 9, 2019
On Tuesday, July 2, 2019, Governor Murphy signed into law a long-awaited expansion of NJ’s medical marijuana program. The Jake Honig Compassionate Use Medical Cannabis Act includes increasing the number of illnesses eligible for cannabis use, boosting the amount that can be dispensed and raising the number of cultivator permits. Porzio Governmental Affairs (PGA) is proud to have worked towards impacting this legislation in two meaningful ways. Through our work with the NJ State Society of Physician Assistants, a group we have represented for nearly a decade, PGA supported expanding the list of health care professionals qualified to authorize patients for the medical use of cannabis to include physician assistants. The new law permits physician assistants and advanced practice nurses to authorize medical cannabis. Previously, only doctors could prescribe it. Additionally, PGA’s work on behalf of our client, EAZE Solutions, Inc., a cannabis-delivery technology company, built the necessary support among other advocates to have appropriate medical cannabis home-delivery language added to this legislation. This law enables dispensaries to deliver medical marijuana to patients, which will greatly improve patient access. PGA is gratified its efforts on behalf of these two clients built support for a law which will significantly improve patient access to medical cannabis for some of New Jersey’s most vulnerable residents for years to come. To read the comprehensive act click here.