Nearly 1,000 NJ Doctors Have Medical Marijuana: Here They Are

Lawmakers are set to make a big move on marijuana over the next two weeks. But before it becomes legal in New Jersey, you should know there are plenty of places to get it – for medical reasons.

Gov. Phil Murphy this past week announced that a total of 42,528 patients, 1,736 caregivers and 925 doctors are now participating in New Jersey’s Medicinal Marijuana Program (see list of doctors below).

Just this past week ,the program reached another milestone, adding 25,500 new patients, nearly 1,000 caregivers and 412 doctors since Murphy took office, according to a Murphy administration press release.

The announcement comes as state lawmakers plan to hold hearings on Monday on marijuana legalization, setting up a possible vote on the measure on Monday, March 25. Read more: 16 Things To Know About NJ Legal Marijuana Bill Before It's Law

In the past 13 months, an additional 412 physicians have been added to the program, a 40 percent increase, according to the release.

The growing number of physicians participating in the program is attributable to a series of 10 Grand Rounds lectures that Shereef Elnahal, commissioner of health, has given to 3,000 doctors and other health professionals, according to the release.

Those lectures have focused on evidence that supports marijuana as an appropriate treatment for patients with certain debilitating conditions.

“I am proud that New Jersey now has a medical marijuana program that is compassionate and is meeting the needs of more and more patients,” said Murphy. “Thousands of residents living with anxiety, migraines, Tourette’s Syndrome, and chronic pain, among other conditions, have increased access to medical marijuana when just one year ago many could not get the treatment they needed.”

The top five medical conditions among patients who have qualified for the program are: Chronic pain due to musculoskeletal disorders (25.4 percent), anxiety (20.2 percent) intractable skeletal spasticity (19.9 percent), PTSD (8.8 percent) and severe or chronic pain due to cancer or HIV (6.85 percent), according to the release.

“In recognition of the 3,000 New Jersey lives lost to the opioid epidemic in 2018, we have added opioid use disorder as a condition for which patients can get treatment with medical marijuana,” said Elnahal. “Importantly, we are also taking steps to ensure that these patients will be on Medication Assisted Treatment for their addiction, in addition to marijuana.”

Previously, only individuals with opioid use disorder related to chronic pain qualified for the program. Other reforms made in the past 13 months include:

• Alternative Treatment Centers:
  • Six businesses were selected to apply for permits to open new medical marijuanadispensaries (December 2018)
• Mobile Access:
  • Patients, caregivers & physicians can access registries, upload documents & make payments on Smart phones & tablets (April 2018)
• Physician Friendly:
  • Doctors no longer required to be listed on public website (optional)
• Expanding Product:
  • Oil – oils that contain extracted THC and CBD that can be vaporized
  • Pre-filled vape cartridges authorized (September 2018)

Here is the list of doctors, as well as their counties and office locations, who are participating: