“Academic medical center” means (1) an entity located in New Jersey that, on the effective date of P.L.2019, c.153 (C. 24:6I-5.1 et al.), has an addiction medicine faculty practice or is in the same health care system as another facility located in New Jersey that offers outpatient medical detoxification services or inpatient treatment services for substance use disorder; has a pain management faculty practice or a facility-based pain management service located in New Jersey; has graduate medical training programs accredited, or pending accreditation, by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education or the American Osteopathic Association in primary care and medical specialties; is the principal teaching affiliate of a medical school based in the State; and has the ability to conduct research related to medical cannabis. If the entity is part of a system of health care facilities, the entity shall not qualify as an academic medical center unless the health care system is principally located within the State; or

(2) an accredited school of osteopathic medicine that: is located in a state that shares a common border with this State; has an articulation agreement or similar memorandum of understanding, plus an agreement to establish and maintain an apprenticeship program in this State to train workers in the cannabis industry, which training would earn college credit, with any State college or university located in a county of the first class with a college of nursing or nursing degree program accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education on the effective date of P.L.2021, c.16 (C. 24:6I-31 et al.); and has an institutional review board that has, on the effective date of P.L.2021, c.16 (C. 24:6I-31 et al.), previously approved a clinical research study in this State involving medical cannabis; and has the ability and will conduct all research and development in the county in which the partner State college or university is located.

“Adverse employment action” means refusing to hire or employ an individual, barring or discharging an individual from employment, requiring an individual to retire from employment, or discriminating against an individual in compensation or in any terms, conditions, or privileges of employment.

“Cannabis” has the meaning given to “marihuana” in section 2 of the “New Jersey Controlled Dangerous Substances Act,” P.L.1970, c.226 (C. 24:21-2).

“Clinical registrant” means an entity that has a written contractual relationship with an academic medical center in the region in which it has its principal place of business, which includes provisions whereby the parties will engage in clinical research related to the use of medical cannabis and the academic medical center or its affiliate will provide advice to the entity regarding patient health and safety, medical applications, and dispensing and managing controlled dangerous substances, among other areas.

“Commission” means the Cannabis Regulatory Commission established pursuant to section 31 of P.L.2019, c.153 (C. 24:6I-24).

“Commissioner” means the Commissioner of Health.

“Common ownership or control” means:

(1) between two for-profit entities, the same individuals or entities own and control more than 50 percent of both entities;

(2) between a nonprofit entity and a for-profit entity, a majority of the directors, trustees, or members of the governing body of the nonprofit entity directly or indirectly own and control more than 50 percent of the for-profit entity; and

(3) between two nonprofit entities, the same directors, trustees, or governing body members comprise a majority of the voting directors, trustees, or governing body members of both nonprofits.

“Department” means the Department of Health.

“Designated caregiver” means a resident of the State who:

(1) is at least 18 years old;

(2) has agreed to assist with a registered qualifying patient’s medical use of cannabis, is not currently serving as a designated caregiver for more than one other qualifying patient, and is not the qualifying patient’s health care practitioner;

(3) subject to the provisions of paragraph (2) of subsection c. of section 4 of P.L.2009, c.307 (C. 24:6I-4), has never been convicted of possession or sale of a controlled dangerous substance, unless such conviction occurred after the effective date of P.L.2009, c.307 (C. 24:6I-1 et al.) and was for a violation of federal law related to possession or sale of cannabis that is authorized under P.L.2009, c.307 (C. 24:6I-1 et al.) or P.L.2015, c.158 (C. 18A:40-12.22 et al.);

(4) has registered with the commission pursuant to section 4 of P.L.2009, c.307 (C. 24:6I-4), and, except in the case of a designated caregiver who is an immediate family member of the patient, has satisfied the criminal history record background check requirement of section 4 of P.L.2009, c.307 (C. 24:6I-4); and

(5) has been designated as a designated caregiver by the patient when registering or renewing a registration with the commission or in other written notification to the commission.

“Dispense” means the furnishing of medical cannabis to a registered qualifying patient, designated caregiver, or institutional caregiver by a medical cannabis dispensary or clinical registrant pursuant to written instructions issued by a health care practitioner pursuant to the requirements of P.L.2009, c.307 (C. 24:6I-1 et al.). The term shall include the act of furnishing medical cannabis to a medical cannabis handler for delivery to a registered qualifying patient, designated caregiver, or institutional caregiver, consistent with the requirements of subsection i. of section 27 of P.L.2019, c.153 (C. 24:6I-20).

“Health care facility” means a general acute care hospital, nursing home, long term care facility, hospice care facility, group home, facility that provides services to persons with developmental disabilities, behavioral health care facility, or rehabilitation center.

“Health care practitioner” means a physician, advanced practice nurse, or physician assistant licensed or certified pursuant to Title 45 of the Revised Statutes who:

(1) possesses active registrations to prescribe controlled dangerous substances issued by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration and the Division of Consumer Affairs in the Department of Law and Public Safety;

(2) is the health care practitioner responsible for the ongoing treatment of a patient’s qualifying medical condition, the symptoms of that condition, or the symptoms associated with the treatment of that condition, provided, however, that the ongoing treatment shall not be limited to the provision of authorization for a patient to use medical cannabis or consultation solely for that purpose; and

(3) if the patient is a minor, is a pediatric specialist.

“Immediate family” means the spouse, domestic partner, civil union partner, child, sibling, or parent of an individual, and shall include the siblings, parents, and children of the individual’s spouse, domestic partner, or civil union partner, and the parents, spouses, domestic partners, or civil union partners of the individual’s parents, siblings, and children.

“Institutional caregiver” means a resident of the State who:

(1) is at least 18 years old;

(2) is an employee of a health care facility;

(3) is authorized, within the scope of the individual’s professional duties, to possess and administer controlled dangerous substances in connection with the care and treatment of patients and residents pursuant to applicable State and federal laws;

(4) is authorized by the health care facility employing the person to assist registered qualifying patients who are patients or residents of the facility with the medical use of cannabis, including, but not limited to, obtaining medical cannabis for registered qualifying patients and assisting registered qualifying patients with the administration of medical cannabis;

(5) subject to the provisions of paragraph (2) of subsection c. of section 4 of P.L.2009, c.307 (C. 24:6I-4), has never been convicted of possession or sale of a controlled dangerous substance, unless such conviction occurred after the effective date of P.L.2009, c.307 (C. 24:6I-1 et al.) and was for a violation of federal law related to possession or sale of cannabis that is authorized under P.L.2009, c.307 (C. 24:6I-1 et al.) or P.L.2015, c.158 (C. 18A:40-12.22 et al.); and

(6) has registered with the commission pursuant to section 4 of P.L.2009, c.307 (C. 24:6I-4).

“Integrated curriculum” means an academic, clinical, or research program at an institution of higher education that is coordinated with a medical cannabis cultivator, medical cannabis manufacturer, or medical cannabis dispensary to apply theoretical principles, practical experience, or both involving the cultivation, manufacturing, dispensing, delivery, or medical use of cannabis to a specific area of study, including, but not limited to, agriculture, biology, business, chemistry, culinary studies, ecology, environmental studies, health care, horticulture, technology, or any other appropriate area of study or combined areas of study. Integrated curricula shall be subject to approval by the commission and the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education.

“Integrated curriculum permit” or “IC permit” means a permit issued to a medical cannabis cultivator, medical cannabis manufacturer, or medical cannabis dispensary that includes an integrated curriculum approved by the commission and the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education.

“Medical cannabis alternative treatment center” or “alternative treatment center” means an organization issued a permit, including a conditional permit, by the commission to operate as a medical cannabis cultivator, medical cannabis manufacturer, medical cannabis dispensary, or clinical registrant. This term shall include the organization’s officers, directors, board members, and employees.

“Medical cannabis cultivator” means an organization holding a permit issued by the commission that authorizes the organization to: possess and cultivate cannabis and deliver, transfer, transport, distribute, supply, and sell medical cannabis and related supplies to other medical cannabis cultivators and to medical cannabis manufacturers, clinical registrants, and medical cannabis dispensaries, as well as to plant, cultivate, grow, and harvest medical cannabis for research purposes. A medical cannabis cultivator permit shall not authorize the permit holder to manufacture, produce, or otherwise create medical cannabis products, or to deliver, transfer, transport, distribute, supply, sell, or dispense medical cannabis, medical cannabis products, paraphernalia, or related supplies to qualifying patients, designated caregivers, or institutional caregivers.

“Medical cannabis dispensary” means an organization issued a permit by the commission that authorizes the organization to: purchase or obtain medical cannabis and related supplies from medical cannabis cultivators; purchase or obtain medical cannabis products and related supplies from medical cannabis manufacturers; purchase or obtain medical cannabis, medical cannabis products, and related supplies and paraphernalia from other medical cannabis dispensaries and from clinical registrants; deliver, transfer, transport, distribute, supply, and sell medical cannabis and medical cannabis products to other medical cannabis dispensaries; furnish medical cannabis, including medical cannabis products, to a medical cannabis handler for delivery to a registered qualifying patient, designated caregiver, or institutional caregiver consistent with the requirements of subsection i. of section 27 of P.L.2019, c.153 (C. 24:6I-20); and possess, display, deliver, transfer, transport, distribute, supply, sell, and dispense medical cannabis, medical cannabis products, paraphernalia, and related supplies to qualifying patients, designated caregivers, and institutional caregivers. A medical cannabis dispensary permit shall not authorize the permit holder to cultivate medical cannabis, to produce, manufacture, or otherwise create medical cannabis products.

“Medical cannabis manufacturer” means an organization issued a permit by the commission that authorizes the organization to: purchase or obtain medical cannabis and related supplies from a medical cannabis cultivator or a clinical registrant; purchase or obtain medical cannabis products from another medical cannabis manufacturer or a clinical registrant; produce, manufacture, or otherwise create medical cannabis products; and possess, deliver, transfer, transport, distribute, supply, and sell medical cannabis products and related supplies to other medical cannabis manufacturers and to medical cannabis dispensaries and clinical registrants. A medical cannabis manufacturer permit shall not authorize the permit holder to cultivate medical cannabis or to deliver, transfer, transport, distribute, supply, sell, or dispense medical cannabis, medical cannabis products, paraphernalia, or related supplies to registered qualifying patients, designated caregivers, or institutional caregivers.

“Medical use of cannabis” means the acquisition, possession, transport, or use of cannabis or paraphernalia by a registered qualifying patient as authorized by P.L.2009, c.307 (C. 24:6I-1 et al.) and P.L.2015, c.158 (C. 18A:40-12.22 et al.).

“Minor” means a person who is under 18 years of age and who has not been married or previously declared by a court or an administrative agency to be emancipated.

“Paraphernalia” has the meaning given in N.J.S. 2C:36-1

“Pediatric specialist” means a physician who is a board-certified pediatrician or pediatric specialist, or an advanced practice nurse or physician assistant who is certified as a pediatric specialist by an appropriate professional certification or licensing entity.

“Primary care” means the practice of family medicine, general internal medicine, general pediatrics, general obstetrics, or gynecology.

“Qualifying medical condition” means seizure disorder, including epilepsy; intractable skeletal muscular spasticity; post-traumatic stress disorder; glaucoma; positive status for human immunodeficiency virus; acquired immune deficiency syndrome; cancer; amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; multiple sclerosis; muscular dystrophy; inflammatory bowel disease, including Crohn’s disease; terminal illness, if the patient has a prognosis of less than 12 months of life; anxiety; migraine; Tourette’s syndrome; dysmenorrhea; chronic pain; opioid use disorder; or any other medical condition or its treatment that is approved by the commission.

“Qualifying patient” or “patient” means a resident of the State who has been authorized for the medical use of cannabis by a health care practitioner.

“Registration with the commission” means a person has met the qualification requirements for, and has been registered by the commission as, a registered qualifying patient, designated caregiver, or institutional caregiver. The commission shall establish appropriate means for health care practitioners, health care facilities, medical cannabis dispensaries, law enforcement, schools, facilities providing behavioral health services or services for persons with developmental disabilities, and other appropriate entities to verify an individual’s status as a registrant with the commission.

“Significantly involved person” means a person or entity who holds at least a five percent investment interest in an entity issued, or applying for a permit to operate as, a medical cannabis cultivator, medical cannabis manufacturer, medical cannabis dispensary, or clinical registrant, or who is a decision making member of a group that holds at least a 20 percent investment interest in an entity issued, or applying for a permit to operate as, a medical cannabis cultivator, medical cannabis manufacturer, medical cannabis dispensary, or clinical registrant, in which no member of that group holds more than a five percent interest in the total group investment interest, and the person or entity makes controlling decisions regarding the operations of the entity issued, or applying for a permit to operate as, a medical cannabis cultivator, medical cannabis manufacturer, medical cannabis dispensary, or clinical registrant.

“Terminally ill” means having an illness or condition with a prognosis of less than 12 months of life.

“Usable cannabis” means the dried leaves and flowers of cannabis, and any mixture or preparation thereof, and does not include the seeds, stems, stalks, or roots of the plant.

L.2009, c.307, s.3; amended 2012, c.17, s.90; 2016, c.53; 2019, c.153, s.3; 2021, c.16, s.4.