Delivery gets the go-ahead for medical cannabis patients

Alternative treatment centers can deliver medical cannabis to patients and designated caregivers, per a waiver issued by the New Jersey Department of Health on Thursday.

This is the significant first step in implementing the full home delivery provisions found in Jake Honig’s Law, which was signed by Gov. Phil Murphy last summer, the Department said.

Deliveries will be conducted by employees who have undergone a criminal background check, and delivery vehicles will need to be equipped with security measures such as GPS tracking and a secure lock box.

“The Department continues to prioritize patient access during this unprecedented pandemic,” said Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli in a prepared statement. “This new waiver will allow ATCs, once they have submitted a plan to the Department for approval, to deliver across the state.”

ATCs will be responsible for making sure their drivers have adequate personal protective equipment and training on how to conduct deliveries to minimize the spread of COVID-19.

The waiver is the latest in a series of policies put in place by the Department to ease barriers for patients and caregivers to accessing dispensaries. Caregiver fees were reduced to just $20 in March. At the same time, the DOH permitted remote consultations, offered increased options for discounts, and authorized curbside dispensing.

Cannabis activists have long advocated for home delivery as a way to make medical cannabis more accessible. Cannabis-focused nurse Jessie Gill touted home delivery as a remedy for patients who can’t subject themselves to long wait times in public.

Ken Wolski, executive director at the Coalition for Medical Marijuana New Jersey Inc., said his organization was glad to see the DOH allow home delivery, and noted that it was part of Honig’s law.

“We look forward to the prompt implementation of the other provisions of that law, including allowing Advanced Practice Nurses to recommend cannabis, and Institutional Caregivers to provide medical cannabis to institutionalized patients,” Wolski said.

Two new dispensaries recently opened in the state, as well. With the addition of Zen Leaf in Elizabeth and Columbia Care in Vineland, there are 11 operating dispensaries statewide to serve the 78,698 patients and 3,104 caregivers registered with the program.