NEW JERSEY – The New Jersey Department of Health recently announced that you can now access the NJ Medical Marijuana Program on mobile platforms, where you can perform tasks such as register, upload documents and make payments from your phone or tablet.
“Continuing our focus on improving the consumer experience in the Medicinal Marijuana Program, for the first time since the program’s inception, the website is now mobile friendly,” said New Jersey Health Commissioner Dr. Shereef Elnahal. “With the rise in smartphone and tablet usage, providing mobile access to the Medicinal Marijuana program is a great first step.”
In addition, the Department is also investing $50,000 into a public awareness campaign, which aims to inform physicians and patients of expanded medical conditions. The public awareness campaign will consist of social media, a radio PSA by the Health Commissioner and online advertising.
Not to mention, the Department plans to produce a webinar this spring, where the Commissioner can teach lectures for medical students, residents and other physicians throughout NJ.
Commissioner Elnahal submitted a report of the NJ Medical Marijuana Program that contained over 20 reforms to the program, of which mobile access was one. With this report, the program has now added five new medical conditions – including anxiety, migraines, Tourette’s syndrome, chronic pain related to musculoskeletal disorders, and chronic visceral pain –, reduced patient and caregiver fees, allowed dispensaries to submit waivers to add satellite locations, proposed changes in law that would increase the monthly product limit for patients, and allow those in hospice care to have an unlimited supply.
The Alternative Treatment Centers have submitted three satellite waiver requests so far.
Some of the changes to the program include:
- Lowered biennial patient registration fee, from $200 to $100
- Veterans and seniors were added to list of those who qualify for the $20 discounted registration fee.
- Program was elevated to a Division level
- New Assistant commissioner is Jeff Brown.
Currently, 19,216 patients, 577 physicians, and 870 caregivers participate in the program.
For more information on program reforms, visit nj.gov/health/medicalmarijuana/documents/EO6Report_Final.pdf. Consumers, physicians, and business owners with questions about the report can email inquiries to MMPquestions@doh.nj.gov. For more information about medical marijuana in NJ, visit nj.gov/health/medicalmarijuana.
